ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF WIND-BLOWN SEDIMENTS FROM 2 CONTRASTING TEXTURED SOILS

ITURRI, LAURA A.; FUNK, R.; SOMMER, M.; BUSCHIAZZO, D. E.

Aeolian Research

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2021 vol. 48

1875-9637

Wind eroded sediment is sorted by height by both size and density. Less information isavailable about the elemental composition and enrichment ratios of these sediments.Because of that, the concentration of elements in wind-blown sediments of a sandyand a sandy loam soil of the semiarid Argentinean Pampas were analyzed. With thispurpose, a wind tunnel study was performed for obtaining the saltating sedimentstransported at different heights, and a sorption-based laboratory procedure was usedto separate the particulate matter. Results showed that Ca and Mg were transported atlow- and C and N at high heights. These tendencies were attributed to theaccumulation of Ca and Mg in coarse minerals, probably apatite and Ca-feldspars,which are heavily transported by the wind, and to the accumulation of C and N in lowdense organic substances, fresh debris and polysaccharides, easily transported by thewind. Total S did not show a preference to be transported at any height, possibly dueto its accumulation in organic and mineral substances. The transport of C and N wasmore segregated in the sandy- than in the sandy loam soil, in agreement with thebetter aggregation of the latter, in which some of its organic substances (carboxylicacids, amides and aromatics), form coarse and heavily transportable aggregates. Fromthe obtained results it can be deduced that C and N would be widespread larger thanCa and Mg. Assembling of data obtained to mass fluxes, becomes relevant formodeling the biogeochemical cycles.