Application of the Crystallinity Ratio of Free Iron Oxides for Dating Soils
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第 四 紀 研 究(The Quaternary Research)41(16)p.485-493 Dec. 2002 Application of the Crystallinity Ratio of Free Iron Oxides for Dating Soils Developed on the Raised Coral Reef Terraces of Kikai and Minami-Daito Islands, Southwest Japan Yuji Maejima*1, Shizuo Nagatsuka*2 and Teruo Higashi*3 Absolute ages of soils developed on the raised coral reef terraces in Kikai Island in the Ryukyus, Southwest Japan were estimated by using the mean rate of tectonic up- lift and glacio-eustatic curve during late Quaternary in the previous paper. In order to estimate the soil age of other areas where the similar soils as those existed in Kikai Island were formed by using the index of soil age, which was highly correlated with some physico-chemical properties of soil itself, total iron (Fet), iron and aluminum extractable by dithionite-citrate (Fed, Ald) and by acid ammonium oxalate (Feo, Alo) were determined for all horizons of the six profiles in Kikai Island. The results obtained are as follows: The crystallinity ratio of free iron oxides [(Fed-Feo)/Fet] gradually increased with the stage of soil development, while the activity ratio (Feo/Fed) decreased. There was a highly positive correlation between the soil age and (Fed-Feo)/Fet. By using this relationship, the ages of Minami-Daito Island soils, Lateritic Red soil and Lateritic Yellow soil whose age had not been determined, were estimated from the mean values of (Fed-Feo)/Fet, as 500±60 ka and 630±110ka, respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that the crystallinity ratio of free iron oxides could be a good index of the degree of soil development and age of Red-colored soils. Key Words: Iron oxides, crystallinity ratio, Kikai Island, Soil age, Red-colored soil stone Lithosols (ca. 3.0 ka), Initial Rendzina- I. Introduction like soils (3.5-3.9 ka), Rendzina-like soils (35- In the previous paper (Nagatsuka and Nlae- 40 ka), Brown Rendzina-like soils (50-55 ka), jima, 2001), the authors studied the absolute Terra f usca-like soils (70-80 ka), Terra rossa- ages of soils developed on the raised coral reef like soils (95 -100 ka), and finally Intergrade terraces of Kikai Island in the Ryukyus, South- between Terra rossa-like soils and Red-Yellow west Japan by using a combined method of the soils (120-125 ka). The years in the paren- mean rate of tectonic uplift and the glacio- theses indicate the absolute ages of the soils. eustatic curve during late Quaternary. The Consequently, it was concluded that ca. 125 ka soils on the raised coral reef terraces of Kikai would be needed for Red-Yellow soils (Acrisols, Island showed a series of chronosequence in Hapludults) to develop on coral limestone their development in the order of Coral Lime- under the humid subtropical rain forest cli- Received February 13, 2002. Accepted July 27, 2002. *1 Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science . Institute of Applied Biochemistry, Uni- versity of Tsukuba. 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, 305-0006, Japan. (Present address: Research Center of Nuclear Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo. 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan .) E-mail: *2 Japan Soil Research Institute Inc . Hibarigaoka, Takano Bd. 7F, 2-5-11 Yato-cho, Nishi-Tokyo, 188-0001, Japan. *3 Institute of Applied Biochemistry , University of Tsukuba. 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, 305-0006, Japan. 486 Y. Maejima, S. Nagatsuka and T. Higashi Dec. 2002 mate condition. sa-like soil and Red-Yellow soil (Haplic Lixisol, However, the mean rate of tectonic uplift is Typic Hapludalf) developed on the raised coral not applicable for the area where the actual reef terraces in Kikai Island. Furthermore, soil uplift process in the past is not understood. So, samples from two soil profiles consisting of as an alternative, we tried to estimate the soil Lateritic Red soil (Typic Rhodudalf, Haplic age of other areas where the similar soils as Lixisol) and Lateritic Yellow soil (Typic Kandi- those existed in Kikai Island are formed by udult, Haplic Acrisol) developed on the raised using the index of soil age, which is highly coral reef terraces in Minami-Daito Island were correlated with some physico-chemical prop- also used for comparison. The profile descrip- erties of soil itself. tions, general physico-chemical and mineralog- In the present paper, the authors examined ical properties of these soil samples have al- the applicability of the crystallinity ratio of ready been reported in the previous paper free iron oxides of soils for the estimation of (Maejima et al., 1997 a, b; Nagatsuka and Mae- soil age, and tried to estimate the absolute age jima, 2001). of the soils derived from coral limestone in 2. Iron and aluminum oxides and total iron Minami-Daito Island under the comparison Analyses were performed on the fine earth with other methodology. fractions (≦2mm) and results are expressed on an oven dry basis (% R2O3 per dry soil). II. Materials and methods The contents of total iron (Fet), iron and alu- 1. Soil samples minum extractable by dithionite-citrate (Fed, The soil-sampling sites are shown in Figure Ald) and by acid ammonium oxalate (Feo, Alo) 1. Soil samples were used from six soil profiles were determined for all horizons of the six consisting of Initial Rendzina-like soil (Rendzic profiles. Fet was determined by the method Leptosol according to WRB (FAQ, ISRIC and described by Nagatsuka (1994). Fed, Feo, Aid ISSS, 1998), Lithic Rendoll according to Soil and Alo were determined by the method of Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 1994)), Rendzina- Blakemore et al. (1987). like soil (Rendzic Leptosol, Lithic Rendoll) III. Results and discussion Brown Rendzina-like soil (Mollic Leptosol, Eu- tropeptic Rendoll), Terra fusca-like soil (Haplic 1. Distribution of iron and aluminum Luvisol, Typic Hapludalf), Terra rossa-like soil oxides in soil profile (Chromic Luvisol, Typic Hapludalf), Terra ros- The contents of total iron (Fet), dithionite- citrate-extractable iron (Fed) and aluminum (Ald), and oxalate-extractable iron (Feo) and alu- minum (Alo) are shown in Table 1. The contents of Fed and Fet increased with the degree of soil development and soil age. The distribution pattern of Fed in each profile, except the case of Initial Rendzina-like soil, showed the increase from the surface horizon to the lower horizon, and almost constant at the depths below second horizon. The distribu- tion pattern of Fet was similar to that of Fed. On the other hand, Feo was very low (0.3- 1.3% Fe2O3) in each soil profile, and it was almost constant throughout the profile. There was no appreciable difference among soils and horizons studied. The contents of Ald gradually increased with Fig. 1 Schematic location map of the soil-sampling the degree of soil development and soil age. sites The contents of Alo as well as Feo indicated no 2002年12月 Estimation of Soil Age by the Crystallinity Ratio 487 Table 1 Iron, aluminum and clay contents of the soils in Kikai Island* *Oven dry basis . **cf Nagatsuka and Maejima (2001) ***The terrace No . of Kikai Island, accroding to Konishi et al. (1974) and Ota et al. (1978) appreciable difference among all soils and hori- zons. Figure 2 shows the nearly constant Fed/clay and Ald/clay ratios (r=0.93** and r=0.94**, respectively, **indicates significant at 1% level). This indicates the presence of clay mi- gration (Schlichting and Blume, 1962) or co- illuviation of iron and aluminum oxides and clay minerals (Zainol, 1985). Since clay migra- tion and accumulation are very important proc- esses for soil development in longer pedo- genetic time (>50 ka as Brown Rendzina-like soil in this study), it is very rational to incorpo- rate Fed and Ald for the estimation of soil age. 2. Activity and crystallinity ratios of free Fig. 2 Relationship between contents of clay and iron oxides dithionite-citrate-extractable iron or alumi- Figure 3 shows the values of activity ratio of num in Kikai Island soils free iron oxides (Feo/Fed) (Blume and Schwert- ** Significant at 1% level . 488 Y. Maejima, S. Nagatsuka and T. Higashi Dec. 2002 Fig. 3 Activity and crystallinity ratios of free iron oxides of the soils in Kikai Island R: Red soil, YB: Yellow-Brown Forest soil mann, 1969) and the crystallinity ratio [(Fed- tocene to Upper Pleistocene-Holocene. In addi- Feo)/Fet] (Nagatsuka, 1972) of the studied soils. tion, Arduino et al. (1986) suggested that the In Figure 3, the values of these ratios obtained ratios Fed/Fet and (Fed - Feo)/Fet were closely from Minami-Daito Island soils derived from related to the ages of the terraces in northern coral limestone are also shown for comparison. Italy. Bech et al. (1997) also obtained similar In Kikai Island, activity ratio of free iron results that the crystallinity ratio [(Fed-Feo)/ oxides ranged from 0.09 to 0.36, and the crys- Fe] of Red Mediterranean soils was very close- tallinity ratio from 0.28 to 0.64. (Fed-Feo)/Fet ly related to the degree of weathering and/or gradually increases from the youngest to the age. Therefore, it is expected that the crystal- oldest soils, and Feo/Fed decreases in the same linity ratio of free iron oxides will be a good order (Fig. 3 and Table 1). Urushibara-Yoshino index of ages of Red-colored soils in Southwest (1988, 1992) also showed the increase of (Fed- Japan. Feo)/Fet in the B-horizon of the soils in Kikai In general, the crystallinity ratios of free iron Island associated with the decrease of Feo/Fed oxides of Red-Yellow soils of Southwest Japan that was in accordance with the estimated age range from 0.5 to 0.7 (Nagatsuka and Urushi- of the raised coral reef terraces.