TITLE:
Genesis and Classification of Some Soils of the River Nile Terraces: A Case Study of Khartoum North, Sudan
AUTHORS:
Magboul M. Sulieman, Ibrahim S. Ibrahim, Jamal T. Elfaki
KEYWORDS:
Pedogenesis Processes, Ochric Epipedon, River Nile Terraces, Entisols, Aridisols, Ethiopian Plateau
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.4 No.3,
March
3,
2016
ABSTRACT: Soils
developed in the alluvium terraces of the River Nile at Khartoum North, Sudan was
analyzed in an attempt to classify it as well as to refer them to their origin.
Three river terraces comprising nine profiles were selected to cover the
physiographic positions. Lack of B horizon and carbonate accumulation were main
pedogenic processes in subsurface horizons, whereas orhric epipedon was
developed on top soil surface. The microscopic inspection of heavy sand
mineralogy indicated that the origin of the sand was the Ethiopian plateau. The
most abundant clay mineral was smectite, followed by illite, kaolinite and
chlorite. The presences of micas (illite) and chlorite in all studied soil
samples might emphasize that these soils were young from the pedological
viewpoint and less weathered. The soils of the River Nile terraces at Khartoum
North were classified into: Typic Torrifluvents (1st terrace), Entic
Haplocambids (2nd terrace) and Typic Haplocambids (3rd terrace). Mineralogy
analysis indicated that the Entisols and Aridisols of the River Nile terraces
in the study area had the same origin that of the igneous and metamorphic rocks
from Ethiopian plateau.