The formation of caliche in soils of the Mojave Desert, California

Physics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

Radiocarbon and 230 Th- 234 U dates of calcic horizons from calciorthid soil profiles in the Mojave Desert were used to calculate the rate of deposition of pedogenic CaCO 3 . A major period of CaCO 3 deposition appears to have occurred about 20000 yBP forming calcic horizons below 100-cm depth during a climatic regime with greater effective rainfall than in the present. The overall rate of deposition has been 1.0 to 3.5 g CaCO 3 /m 2 /yr during soil formation. This rate is consistent with present-day rates, assuming that the atmospheric deposition of Ca limits the process. Stable isotope ratios in calcic horizons indicate that CaCO 3 precipitated from a soil environment with CO 2 of - 15.5%. 13 C / 12 C ( vs. PDB) and H 2 O of + 2.0%. 18 O / 16 O ( vs. SMOW). These values suggest that CaCO 3 precipitates when seasonal drought simultaneously lowers soil pore pCO 2 and enriches soil water 18 O by evaporation. The role of soil calcic horizons in the global geochemical cycle of carbon is discussed.

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