Gigaimages / virtual microscope

 

Very intense Illuvation in a sandy/granular horizon with carbonation.

2Btk1 Horizon of a Calcic Palexeralf. Thin section RNS19-4.

 

Low/medium magnifications
   
Low/medium magnifications
 

Micromorphological features

After browsing these images you should have found, at least, the following characteristics (left side image only with poloarizer, the one on the right side with crossed nicols).

dense infillings with illuvial clay with remarkable micro stratifications
Ai, illuvial clay generally infilled; C, micritic carbonate
dense infillings with illuvial clay with remarkable micro stratifications
  Illuvial clay with high interference colors
Illuvial brown clay coated by an illuvial orange clay with a thiner texture

1, illuvial brown clay; 2, illuvial orange clay; 3, illuvial yellow clay. What do these changes show?

Carbonates coating the illuvial clay Is it normal?
sand grains: aQ, quartz; aOr, orthose; aPl, plagioclase; Gravels: gQ, quartzite; gOr, orthose
Biotite same size as sand  

This soil was presented in the "XIII ReuniĆ³n Nacional de Suelos" celebrated in Salamanca in 1985.