EVALUATION OF PROFILE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME SOLONETZIC SOILS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALBERTA
The process of solodization was studied with respect to its chemical, physical, and mineralogical aspect and with particular emphasis upon the clay fraction. The net gain or loss of clay occurring in each profile upon solodization was calculated with quartz in the fine sand fraction serving as index mineral. Preferential translocation of montmorillonite over illite was evident in all profiles. K2O content in the total clay fraction indicated that illitization had taken place. For each of three sampling sites, the more solodized members of the sequence of Solonetzic profiles showed a net gain of clay while the least solodized members showed either a deficit or a much smaller gain. Reduction in size of the coarse material (sand size) was evident in most profiles studied. In some profiles, particle size reduction of the sand fraction was accompanied by an increase in clay size quartz in the eluvial horizons which suggests that quartz distribution is to some degree also affected by solodization. Although the use of quartz as an index mineral may therefore not provide an absolute degree of accuracy in quantitative pedology, it was felt that its abundance and its high stability insured useful results.