Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - 11:15 AM
195-6

On the Gypseous Soils and Landscapes of Southern New Mexico.

H. Curtis Monger1, Rebecca Kraimer1, Kenneth Scheffe2, Greg W. Cates2, Gordon Michaud2, Austin Eldridge2, Justin Riggs1, and David Rachal1. (1) PO Box 30003 Dept. 3Q, New Mexico State University, New Mexico State University, Plant & Environmental Sciences Dept., Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, (2) USDA-NRCS, 7261 Spruce Mountain Loop Ne, Rio Rancho, NM 87144-7504

Gypsum in soils of southern New Mexico originates from Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Dissolved calcium and sulfate ions from these rocks are carried in surface and subsurface water downslope to ephemeral lakes which, upon desiccation, give rise to wind-blown gypsum particles. The larger particles accumulate as dunes while finer particles are dispersed across the landscape. In some landforms, like the active White Sands dune field, soils are composed almost entirely of gypsum. In contrast, soils of neighboring landforms, like piedmont slopes descending from adjacent mountains, are composed of a silicate-fabric in which gypsum precipitates and dissolves. Gypseous landforms in southern New Mexico range in age from middle Pleistocene to Historical and are, at lease in part, the product of Quaternary climatic fluctuations between pluvial-glacial and arid-interglacial conditions.

Back to Symposium--Gypsum & Soluble Salts in Soils: I. Occurence, Dilemmas, and Solutions
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Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 4-8, 2007)