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The paleosol in the Kerkom Sands near Pellenberg (Belgium) revisited

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2016

S. Van Herreweghe ,
S. Deckers ,
F. DeConinck ,
R. Merckx  and
F. Gullentops
S. Van Herreweghe*
Affiliation:
Physico-Chemical Geology, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200C, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium; e-mail:[email protected]
S. Deckers
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Soil and Water, K.U. Leuven, Vital Decosterstraat 102, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
F. DeConinck
Affiliation:
Bergenstraat 67, B-3053 Haasrode, Belgium
R. Merckx
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Soil Fertility and Soil Biology, K.U. Leuven, Kardinaal Mercierlaan 92, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
F. Gullentops
Affiliation:
Historical Geology, Redingenstraat 16, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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In an area east of Leuven (central Belgium), a buried sandy estuarine deposit of Oligocene age contains a dark colored organic layer of about 4 m thick. Our results suggests that the organic matter is an illuvial horizon, therefore warranting the hypothesis that the layer may qualify for a giant buried spodic horizon rather than a remainder of a Tertiary oil seepage as suggested by Van Riessen and Vandenberghe (1996). Of particular importance is the micro-morphological evidence, which reveals that the mainly monomorphous organic matter is present as ubiquitous coatings and concentrations around the quartz grains. These coatings show the for Podzols very typical polygonal cracked patterns. The geochemical signature (stable carbon isotope analysis) also gives strong indications for a continental origin of the organic carbon and therefore support the pedogenetic origin of the horizon. The paleopedological scene into which this soil has developed is inferred from the data.

Keywords

PaleopedologyPodzolsMicromorphologyGeochemistry
Type
Research Article
Information
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences , Volume 82 , Issue 2 , July 2003 , pp. 149 - 159
Copyright
Copyright © Stichting Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 2003

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