The Grosscomposition of Main Soil Types of the Alazeya River Valley

Abstract

A new data about the total content of macroand microelements in the tundra and north sub-zones soils distributed within the Kolyma-Indigirka lowland were obtained as a result of the chemical composition investigation of the Alazeya river basin soils. We investigated typical soils of the basic landscapes of the territory: zonal soil types were presented by cryozem of the northern taiga and permafrost gleyish soils of the tundra zone, intrazonal soil types – by permafrost sod soils of the high floodplain, and soils of a seaside meadows. The soils of the investigated territory are characterized by relatively light granulometric composition and the high content of poorly decomposed organic materials. It was revealed a soil differentiation by elemental composition on different landscapes. Molar ratios of various oxides were calculated that allowed us to open a relative movement or accumulation of the oxides (SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃) in genetic horizons of the soil profile. High levels of molar ratios of various oxides (more than 4) is the main characteristic of permafrost soils, indicating a very weakened weathering processes in extreme conditions of the north.