Steven G. Driese*, Lee C. Nordt, Amos V. Culbertson, Emily J. Beverly, Gary E. Stinchcomb, & Forrest Williamson (STATS)Department of Geology, Paleoclimatology Research GroupOne Bear Place #97354, Baylor UniversityWaco, TX 76798-7354 ; *[email protected]
South-central Section GSA 2013
Austin
Have lead to major improvements for geoscientists in interpreting climate from the fossil soil (paleosol) record using studies of surface soil systems
(a) Paleoprecipitation (MAP) (b) Seasonality of paleoprecipitation (c) Paleotemperature (d) Soil drainage and
maturitycharacteristics
(climate, organisms, relief, parent material, and time)INPUT (cl, o, r, p, t,…)
Function (f)
OUTPUT f(cl, o, r, p, t,…)equals Soil (S) or soil property (s)
Soils are a multi-variable system
…also, climate influence on soil system is non-linear
Demonstrated by Jenny (1941) and many others
Jenny’s (1941) Environmental Factor Model
Texas Vertisol “Climosequence”: NSF EAR-9814607 (Driese, Nordt and Mora); University of Tennessee- Knoxville, Baylor, TAMU, USDA-NRCS
League Series: MAP 1350-League Series: MAP 1350-1450 mm1450 mm
Lake Charles: MAP 1050-1350 Lake Charles: MAP 1050-1350 mmmm
Laewest Series: MAP 900-Laewest Series: MAP 900-1050 mm1050 mm
Victoria Series: MAP 800-Victoria Series: MAP 800-900 mm900 mm
Parent Material: Beaumont Fm. (>35-Parent Material: Beaumont Fm. (>35-40 ka) alluvium: Texas Coast Prairie40 ka) alluvium: Texas Coast Prairie
Nordt and Driese (2010) Geology, v. 38, p. 407-410.
Culbertson (2013) M.S. Thesis, Baylor University
Culbertson, (2013) Baylor Univ. M.S. Thesis
Upper Paleosol Interval
Pedogenic siderite
Bssg2
Bssg1
Culbertson(2013) Baylor Univ. M.S. Thesis
Lower Paleosol Interval
Culbertson(2013) Baylor Univ. M.S. Thesis
Abrupt, rapid drowning
Upper Paleosol Interval
Culbertson(2013) Baylor Univ. M.S. Thesis
Slow, gradual drowning
NRCS/USDA (soils)
NED(elevation)
NLCD (land cover)
PRISM(MAP & MAT)
Paleosol literature
time periodmorphology
geochemistry, etc…
Database aggregation& management Paleosol Paleoclimate
Model (BU-PPM v. 1.0)
Database workflow
researcher
(Gary Stinchcomb, former Baylor GEO post-doc (now @ Penn. State) + Forrest Williamson from Baylor STATS)
Stinchcomb et al. (2013) Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, in review
Based on 685 U.S. Soil Profiles and Partial Least Squares Regression of 11 Major Oxides
Stinchcomb et al. (2013) Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, in review
Based on 685 U.S. Soil Profiles and Partial Least Squares Regression of 11 Major Oxides
BU-PPM1.0 results: Baylor enlarged U.S. data set vs. original Marbut (1935) soil data base used for CIA-K
Model RMSEMAP RMSEMAT RMSPEMAP RMSPEMAT
BU-PPM1.0 228 2.46 512 3.98
CIA-K 195 - 391 -(Na2O+K2O)/Al2O3 - 3.63 - 6.32
Stinchcomb et al. (2013) Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, in review
BU-PPM1BU-PPM 1.0.0 website – graphical interface
Lower Paleosol Interval Upper Paleosol Interval
Soil Age (yr) MAP (mm)
Ships 1000 1120Pledger 6600 1200Burleson 16000 1120Lake 40000 1150Charles
Mercedes 7500 700
Older South Texas soil (Mercedes) in lower MAP resembles younger East Texas soil (Ships) in higher MAP
