THE ORIGIN OF BANDS IN SANDY SOILS OF THE STONY PLAIN AREA

Abstract

The presence of bands in the lower sola has presented difficulties in the classification of soils developed from pitted deltaic sandy parent materials west of Edmonton, Alberta. The bands were shown to contain more organic matter, free iron, and clay than the interbands, which resulted in a darker, redder color and finer texture as observed in the field. The bands were often coincidental with stratified layers, but their occasional transgression across geologic stratification and their development in profiles without stratification suggested a pedogenic origin. Micropedological investigations revealed oriented clay around the sand grains in the bands and not the interbands, further indicating that the increase in clay was due, at least in part, to illuviation.The bands in the soils investigated have sufficient total thickness of clay accumulation to meet the requirements for a Bt horizon and together with their chemical, physical, and mineralogical characteristics permit their inclusion in the Eluviated Dark Grey Subgroup of the Chernozemic Order and the Orthic Dark Grey Wooded Subgroup of the Podzolic Order.