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Correlation Between Long-Term Pedogenic CaCO3 Formation Rate and Modern Precipitation in Deserts of the American Southwest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Giles M. Marion
Giles M. Marion*
Affiliation:
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182
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Abstract

The rates of CaCO3 formation in desert soils of the American Southwest are highly variable and potentially useful in estimating the age of soil profiles. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between the long-term rate of CaCO3 formation (LTR) and modern mean annual precipitation (MAP) and temperature (MAT). LTR is not significantly related to temperature but is linearly related to MAP [LTR = 0.0150(MAP − 37), r 2 = 0.924]. The slope of the regression is significantly different from 0.0 and is equivalent to a calcium concentration of 6.0 mg liter−1 in rainfall. However, the intercept term, which suggests a lower limit of precipitation for CaCO3 formation of 37 mm, is not significantly different from 0.0. The LTR-MAP relationship may be useful in estimating the age of soil profiles by the CaCO3 method in the desert Southwest.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 32 , Issue 3 , November 1989 , pp. 291 - 295
Copyright
University of Washington

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