Łukasz MUSIELOK & Marek DREWNIK
Jagiellonian University, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management,, Gronostajowa 7, Kraków, Poland
l.musielok@uj.edu.pl

QUANTIFICATION OF THE EFFECTS OF WEATHERING AND PEDOGENESIS IN MICA SCHIST REGOLITH MATERIAL (ZŁOTE MOUNTAINS, POLAND) USING MASS BALANCE ANALYSIS

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Progression of weathering processes and pedogenesis result in changes in mineral and chemical composition of soils in comparison with non-wethered regolith. The optimal method of analyzing geochemical transformations caused by weathering, which occur together with pedogenic processes, is known as mass balance analysis. This method enables determining the absolute value of an element’s enrichment or depletion in weathered soil material via the concentration of the element in parent material. The aim of the study is to analyze changes in the chemical composition of mica schists regolith on the example of the Złote Mountains and to estimate the soil-forming processes contribution to changes in the chemical composition of the analyzed soil-saprolite profiles. Obtained results indicate significant depletion of Mg, Ca and Na in soils due to leaching of alkaline substances. Another process leading to transformation of the chemical composition in soils of sandy texture is podzolization which causes depletion of Fe, Al and Mn in the upper part of regolith. On the other hand, biocycling is a process which can lead to an enrichment of the regolith with certain elements (P, K). Some changes of the chemical composition in analyzed profiles can be also attributed to the occurrence of geomorphic processes and aeolian supply.