SOME PECULIARITIES OF TRANSFORMATION OF SOIL-FORMING ROCKS IN INTERIOR MOUNTAINOUS AJARA (WEST GEORGIA)

• Published in: International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference : SGEM Vol. 19; no. 1.1; pp. 521 - 528
• Main Authors: Kikava, A, Mgeladze, M, Kalandadze, B, Dvalashvili, G, Ananidze, M
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Sofia Surveying Geology & Mining Ecology Management (SGEM) 01.01.2019
• Subjects: Andesite; Basalt; Brown soils; Chemical composition; Color; Colour; Crystal lattices; Crystal structure; Diagnostic systems; Fault lines; Forest watersheds; Fracturing; Geographical distribution; Geography; Geology; Iron constituents; Minerals; Mountains; Organic chemistry; Oxides; Rock; Rocks; Slope; Slopes; Soil; Soils; Transformations; Translocation; Weathering; Tbilisi Georgia (country); Georgia (country); Caucasus
• ISSN: 1314-2704
• DOI: 10.5593/sgem2019/1.1/S01.064

It is known that clastic material originated as a result of the transformation and translocation of rocks and minerals is the major constituent element of soil. Its genesis and petro-chemical composition essentially determines the formation of the soil of some or other taxon. The field and laboratory studies accomplished by us showed that soil-forming rocks in Interior Mountainous Ajara are andesite and andesite-basalt elluviums with intense magmatic instructive fracturing with various mechanisms and directions of weathering. Weathering takes place by means of mechanical, physical, chemical and biochemical mechanisms and their combinations and develops in different directions (sialitic, alliticsialitic, allitic). The intensity of these processes increases drastically over the southern slopes of Ajaristskali and as a result, the law of vertical zoning of the geographical distribution of soils is violated locally and Cambisols Chromic and Acrisols Halpic soils found in the area form hillocks with their distribution. At the same time, in the central and eastern parts of Interior Mountainous Ajara and on the southern and south-eastern slopes of Shavsheti, Arsiani and Ajara-Guria, processes of deep chemical transformation in the direction of allitic-sialitic and ferrallitization and rubefication are obvious. As a result, a silicon crystal lattice is disturbed and has a loose (loose stratified) structure. This feature of weathering is localized where, together with intense fracturing of the rocks, the area is watershed. Besides, in the mountain-forest zone of Interior Mountainous Ajara, locally within the area with brown soils, both, Cambisols Chromic soils and Red color soils are formed at the same time, with the following diagnostic features: presence of siallitized Bm horizon, an orange-brown-red color, accumulation of one and a half oxides, particularly Fe2O3, skeletal (stony) and cloddy-grainy structure what allows assuming that this soil can be identified as an independent soil taxon named Nitisols Ferralic-Cambisols Chromic soil.