Soil salinity and carbonate mineralogy

Abstract

The growing concern over the apparent increased salinization of soils within the prairie region of Canada and the U.S.A. is reflected in the many papers and workshops dealing with this subject over the last few years. In Saskatchewan, provincial and federal research and extension agencies have observed and described various situations where salinization appears to be increasing, and have attempted to document these increases and implement remedial action. While causes of salinization, such as seepage or restricted drainage, may appear obvious in some cases, there are many situations where a complete understanding of the salinization processes are not known due to the lack of information for the specific sites. Ongoing studies dealing with the nature and genesis of secondary carbonates in soils suggest a possible tie-in between soil salinity and the nature of secondary calcites. Such a relationship may offer a means of evaluating the attendant conditions under which salinization occurs. This paper deals with the theoretical background and field evidence related to this relationship.