CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Brisbin, K.A.
Date : 1994.
Title : Soil variability on a stratified drumlin of the Quinte drumlin field, southeastern Ontario.
Publication : Unpublished MSc thesis. Queen's University, Kingston.
Issue :
Page(s) :
Abstract
The Kimmett drumlin stands on a limestone upland and has a core of diamicton and glacio-fluvial sands and gravels, deposited from a southwest oriented flow system, conformably overlain by a 50 to more than 300 cm thick sandy-loam diamicton mantle. Thin glacio-lacustrine clays, attributed to Glacial Lake Iroquois, drape the surroundings and alternate with diamicton beds along the drumlin flank. The drumlin appears to be of depositional origin and likely was formed by subglacial meltwater discharged into Lake Iroquois from the retreating glacier. A prominent decalcified tongued soil mantle, developed in the dense highly calcareous diamicton mantle, extends across the drumlin. Soil tongues, up to 2 m deep and on average 1.1 m apart, are distributed without significant change across the crest, backslope and footslope. Below the toeslope tongues are shallower with lower topographic relief. Tongue development is mainly attributed to localized decalcification whereby gains in pore space, from carbonate loss, facilitate deeper water percolation, resulting in a positive feedback mechanism. Tongue initiation may have resulted from a variety of causes. Bisequal soil profiles, developed within decalcified tongues, have Ahp, Bm, Ae, Bt horizon sequences. The older Ae-Bt sequence reflects prominent argillation and Luvisol development. The younger sequum has a Bm horizon, formed from the older Ae horizon and confined to the central part of the tongues. It reflects cheluviation of iron and aluminum, hence incipient podzolization. Gleying with significant accumulation of free iron is evident in the calcareous C horizon beneath the toeslope. The soil mantle represents a population of isolated, internally drained cone-shaped pedons devoid of the catenary linkage normally provided by surface runoff and throughflow in humid-temperate environments. This soil pattern appears to be associated with dense, highly calcareous, well-drained sandy loam diamicton which happens to mantle the drumlin, but is not necessarily related to the landform.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology