Genesis of Argillic Horizons in Soils of the Charkiln Series, Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada
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UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2007 Genesis of argillic horizons in soils of the Charkiln Series, Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada Peggy E Elliott University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Elliott, Peggy E, "Genesis of argillic horizons in soils of the Charkiln Series, Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada" (2007). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 2102. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/n96h-xjge This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GENESIS OF ARGILLIC HORIZONS IN SOILS OF THE CHARKILN SERIES, SPRING MOUNTAINS, CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA by Peggy E. Elliott Bachelor of Science University of Nevada, Las Vegas 1997 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Geoscience Department of Geoscience College of Sciences Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1443750 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1443750 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Thesis Approval The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas FEBRUARY 20TH 2CP7 The Thesis prepared by PEGGY E. ELLIOTT E n titled GENESIS OF ARGILLIC HORIZONS IN SOILS OF THE CHARKILN SERIES, SPRING MOUNTAINS, CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA is approved in partial fulfillment of fhe requirements for fhe degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE ExaminâtidmCominittee Chair Dean of the Graduate College /I Examination Committee Member / ' Examination Committee Member Graduate College Faculty Representative 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Genesis of Argillic Horizons in Soils of the Charkiln Series, Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada by Peggy E. Elliott Dr. Patrick Drohan, Examination Committee Chair Pine Lake Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Studies Hartwick College, Oneonta, New York Understanding the pedogenesis of argillic horizons in atypical parent materials and climates provides a valuable context for understanding traditional pedogenic interpretations. In this study I examine the genesis of argillic horizons in soils forming in alluvium dominated by quartzite (an atypical parent material for argillic horizons) in an arid to semi-arid climate (usually insufficient moisture to translocate clays). Using soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical analyses with field soil mapping I examined whether the argillic horizons are currently forming and their potential source materials. Results suggest that argillic horizons formed from quartzite, limestone, and eolian dust. While mineralogy suggests soil weathering is minimal, A horizons are clay-depleted and B horizons contain actively forming channel argillans and clay accumulation; a lack of lithologie discontinuities also suggests the argillic horizons are not products of a past climate. This study’s results provide new insight into argillic-horizon development in atypical parent materials and climates. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................ ni LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................................................................vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 1 Purpose of Study .................................................................................................................3 Significance ........................................................................................................................ 4 Study Area Location ...........................................................................................................4 Geology ................................................................................................................................7 Climate................................................................................................................................9 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................9 CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 3 RESULTS..................................................................................................... 17 Geomorphic Analysis .......................................................................................................17 Physical Analyses ............................................................................................................. 19 Thin Sections .................................................................................................................... 28 Chemical Analyses...........................................................................................................38 CHAPTER 4 INTERPRETATION...................................................................................44 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION.............................................................................................. 45 Genesis of the Argillic Horizons .....................................................................................46 Relict or Currently Forming Argillic Horizons ..............................................................54 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSIONS......................................................................................... 59 APPENDIX THIN-SECTION PHOTOGRAPHS AND XRD GRAPHS....................61 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................79 VITA.........................................................................................................................................88 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. 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LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Soil Characteristics of the Cl Pedon, Charkiln Series ....................................... 23 Table 2 Soil Characteristics of the C2 Pedon, Charkiln Series ....................................... 24 Table 3 Soil Characteristics of the C3 Pedon, Charkiln Series ....................................... 25 Table 4 Soil Characteristics of the Ts Pedon, Troughspring Series ................................26 Table 5 Thin-Section Point Count Data for the Charkiln and Troughspring Series Pedons ....................................................................................................................34 Table 6 Base Cations in the Charkiln and Troughspring Series Pedons ........................41 Table 7 XRD Analysis of Minerals in the Charkiln and Troughspring Series Pedons ....................................................................................................................42 Table 8 Dithionite-Citrate Extraction Results for the Charkiln and Troughspring Series Pedons ........................................................................................................43 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Study Location, and Geographic and Physiographic Features of the Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada .................................................................... 6 Figure 2 Geology of the Northern Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada ..............8 Figure 3 Vegetation at the C2 Pedon, Charkiln Series .................................................. II Figure 4 Vegetation