Chemical composition of Polar soils

Abstract

For pedologic purposes the polar regions are divided as follows: (1) Arctic Brown soil zone, which occupies that terrain between the tree line and the high arctic, (2) Polar Desert soil zone, which is contiguous with the high arctic, and (3) Cold Desert soil zone of Antarctica. In going from the Arctic Brown soil zone to the colder, drier, polar deserts of the high arctic and finally to the cold deserts of Antarctica, one encounters certain pedogenic changes. Soils of the northern fringes of the forest zone tend to have weak podzolic affinities, but in progressing to cooler, drier conditions, the soils could be described as being a variety of cold steppe. Soils of the high arctic and of the antarctic continent have many features in common with those of the temperate deserts. Representative deep, well-drained (zonal) soils from each of the regions were analyzed for organic matter, pH values, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, Cu, Co, B, Ga, Pb, Zr, Ni, Sn, Zn, Mo, Mn, V, Cr, Sr, and Ti. Zonal soil processes of the polar regions are briefly discussed.