EFFECTS OF PARENT MATERIAL WEATHERING ON MINERALOGICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOME SOILS IN THE BAHARIYA OASIS, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Hussein, M. A. M.

doi:10.21608/jssae.2013.52481

EFFECTS OF PARENT MATERIAL WEATHERING ON MINERALOGICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOME SOILS IN THE BAHARIYA OASIS, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Author

M. A. M. Hussein

Soil & Water Dept. Fac. Of Agric., Al-Azhar University, Egypt

10.21608/jssae.2013.52481

Abstract

The clay mineralogy and trace elements analysis of 31 selected soil profiles was recorded using X-ray diffraction analysis and X-ray fluorescence analysis. Results indicate that smectite is the predomoniant clay mineral followed by kaolinite in the soil derived from Bahariya, El Hefhuf and Khoman Formation. Kaolinite is the predominat mineral in the soils derived from El Heiz, Qazzun and Radwan formation.
The origin of these clay minerals may be related almost entirely to parent rocks without significant transformation within the soil profiles studied.
The distribution of the trace elements in the studied soil profiles indicate that, zirconium (Zr) is the dominant element in all profiles studied and Formation. Barium (Ba) is the second dominant element followed by Zin (Zn) and chromium. (Cr).
Based on the soil properties and the American soil Taxonomy (2006) Baharia Oasis soils were classified at great soil group level into Torripsaments, Torriorthents, Haplosalids and Haplocalcids