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Geological controls on soil parent material geochemistry along a northern Manitoba-North Dakota transect

January 1, 2009

As a pilot study for mapping the geochemistry of North American soils, samples were collected along two continental transects extending east–west from Virginia to California, and north–south from northern Manitoba to the US–Mexican border and subjected to geochemical and mineralogical analyses. For the northern Manitoba–North Dakota segment of the north–south transect, X-ray diffraction analysis and bivariate relations indicate that geochemical properties of soil parent materials may be interpreted in terms of minerals derived from Shield and clastic sedimentary bedrock, and carbonate sedimentary bedrock terranes. The elements Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr and Ti occur primarily in silicate minerals decomposed by aqua regia, likely phyllosilicates, that preferentially concentrate in clay-sized fractions; Cr and Ti also occur in minerals decomposed only by stronger acid. Physical glacial processes affecting the distribution and concentration of carbonate minerals are significant controls on the variation of trace metal background concentrations.

Publication Year 2009
Title Geological controls on soil parent material geochemistry along a northern Manitoba-North Dakota transect
DOI 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2009.04.033
Authors R.A. Klassen
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Applied Geochemistry
Index ID 70140567
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
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