Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ndmmz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T04:51:18.265Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Geochemical Evidence of Saharan Dust Parent Material for Soils Developed on Quaternary Limestones of Caribbean and Western Atlantic Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Daniel R. Muhs ,
Charles A. Bush ,
Kathleen C. Stewart ,
Tracy R. Rowland  and
Russell C. Crittenden
Daniel R. Muhs
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, MS 424, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 USA
Charles A. Bush
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, MS 424, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 USA
Kathleen C. Stewart
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, MS 424, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 USA
Tracy R. Rowland
Affiliation:
Sunwest Graphics, 2830 Darley Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80303 USA
Russell C. Crittenden
Affiliation:
Ecology and Environment, Inc., 111 West Jackson, Chicago, Illinois 60604 USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Most previous workers have regarded the insoluble residues of high-purity Quaternary limestones (coral reefs and oolites) as the most important parent material for well-developed, clay-rich soils on Caribbean and western Atlantic islands, but this genetic mechanism requires unreasonable amounts of limestone solution in Quaternary time. Other possible parent materials from external sources are volcanic ash from the Lesser Antilles island arc and Saharan dust carried across the Atlantic Ocean on the northeast trade winds. Soils on Quaternary coral terraces and carbonate eolianites on Barbados, Jamaica, the Florida Keys (United States), and New Providence Island (Bahamas) were studied to determine which, if either, external source was important. Caribbean volcanic ashes and Saharan dust can be clearly distinguished using ratios of relatively immobile elements (Al2O3/TiO2, Ti/Y, Ti/Zr, and Ti/Th). Comparison of these ratios in 25 soils, where estimated ages range from 125,000 to about 870,000 yr, shows that Saharan dust is the most important parent material for soils on all islands. These results indicate that the northeast trade winds have been an important component of the regional climatology for much of the Quaterary. Saharan dust may also be an important parent material for Caribbean island bauxites of much greater age.

Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , March 1990 , pp. 157 - 177
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahmad, N. Jones, R. L. Occurrence of aluminous lateritic soils (bauxites) in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands. Economic Geology 64 1969 804 808 Google Scholar
Ahmad, N. Jones, R. L. Genesis, chemical properties and mineralogy of limestone-derived soils, Barbados, West Indies. Tropical Agriculture 46 1969 1 15 Google Scholar
Ahmad, N. Jones, R. L. Beavers, A. H. Genesis, mineralogy and related properties of West Indian Soils. I. Bauxitic soils of Jamaica. Soil Science of America Proceedings 30 1966 719 722 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, T. Flett, J. S. Report on the eruption of the Soufriere of St. Vincent in 1902 and on a visit to Montagne Pelee in Martinique. Royal Society of Philosophy Transactions, Series A 200 1903 353 553 Part I Google Scholar
Bender, M. L. Fairbanks, R. G. Taylor, F. W. Matthews, R. K. Goddard, J. G. Broecker, W. S. Uranium-series dating of the Pleistocene reef tracts of Barbados, West Indies. Geological Society of America Bulletin 90 1979 577 594 Google Scholar
Birkeland, P. W. Soils and Geomorphology 1984 Oxford University Press New York 372 Google Scholar
Biscaye, P. E. Chesselet, R. Prospero, J. M. Rb-Sr, 87Sr/86Sr isotope system as an index of provenance of continental dusts in the open Atlantic Ocean. Journal de Recherches Atmospheriques 8 1974 819 829 Google Scholar
Bowles, F. A. Paleoclimatic significance of quartz/illite variations in cores from the eastern equatorial North Atlantic. Quaternary Research 5 1975 225 235 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brimhall, G. H. Lewis, C. J. Ague, J. J. Dietrich, W. E. Hampel, J. Teague, T. Rix, P. Metal enrichment in bauxites by deposition of chemically mature aeolian dust. Nature (London) 333 1988 819 824 Google Scholar
Bunker, C. M. Bush, C. A. Uranium, Thorium, and Radium Analyses by Gamma-ray Spectrometry (0.184–0.352 Million Electron Volts) 1966 B176 B181 U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 550-B Google Scholar
Cant, R. V. Pleistocene terraces near Oracabessa International Field Institute Guide-book to the Caribbean Island-Arc System 1970 American Geological Institute 40 44 Google Scholar
Cant, R. V. Jamaica's Pleistocene reef terraces. Geologie en Mijnbouw 52 1973 157 160 Google Scholar
Carey, S. N. Sigurdsson, H. Deep-sea evidence for distribution of tephra from the mixed magma eruption of the Soufriere on St. Vincent, 1902: Ash turbidites and air fall. Geology 6 1978 271 274 2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carey, S. N. Sigurdsson, H. The Roseau ash: Deep-sea tephra deposits from a major eruption on Dominica, Lesser Antilles arc. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 7 1980 67 86 Google Scholar
Chen, L. Duce, R. A. The sources of sulfate, vanadium and mineral matter in aerosol particles over Bermuda. Atmospheric Environment 17 1983 2055 2064 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coniglio, M. Harrison, R. S. Facies and diagenesis of late Pleistocene carbonates from Big Pine Key, Florida. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology 31 1983 135 147 Google Scholar
Darwin, C. An account of the fine dust which falls upon vessels in the Atlantic Ocean. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 2 1846 26 30 Google Scholar
Delaney, A. C. Delaney, A. C. Parkin, D. W. Griffin, J. J. Goldberg, E. D. Reimann, B. E. F. Airborne dust collected at Barbados. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 31 1967 885 909 Google Scholar
Edwards, R. L. Chem, J. H. Ku, T.-L. Wasserburg, G. J. Precise timing of the last interglacial period from mass spectrometric determination of thorium-230 in corals. Science 236 1987 1547 1553 Google Scholar
Flett, J. S. Volcanic dust from St. Vincent fallen in Barbados. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 58 1902 368 370 Google Scholar
Foos, A. Paleoclimatic interpretation of paleosols on San Salvador Island, Bahamas Curran, H. A. Proceedings of the 3rd Symposium, Geology of Bahamas 1987 67 72 Google Scholar
Garrett, P. Gould, S. J. Geology of New Providence Island, Bahamas. Geological Society of America Bulletin 95 1984 209 220 Google Scholar
Glaccum, R. A. The Mineralogy and Elemental Composition of Mineral Aerosols over the Tropical North Atlantic: The Influence of Saharan Dust. Unpublished Master's thesis 1978 University of Miami 161 Google Scholar
Glaccum, R. A. Prospero, J. M. Saharan aerosols over the tropical North Atlantic—Mineralogy. Marine Geology 37 1980 295 321 Google Scholar
Goldich, S. S. Bergquist, H. R. Aluminous Lateritic Soil of the Republic of Haiti, W.I. 1948 63 111 U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 954-C Google Scholar
Grousset, R. E. Biscaye, P. E. Zindler, A. Prospero, J. Chester, R. Neodymium isotopes as tracers in marine sediments and aerosols: North Atlantic. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 87 1988 367 378 Google Scholar
Harrison, R. K. Poole, E. G. Nancarrow, P. H. A. Ash deposited on Barbados, West Indies from the eruption of La Soufriere, St. Vincent, of 13–14 April, 1979. Report of the Institute of Geological Sciences 80 1 1980 43 48 Google Scholar
Hay, R. L. Origin and weathering of late Pleistocene ash deposites on St. Vincent, B. W. I.. Journal of Geology 67 1959 65 87 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hay, R. L. Rate of clay formation and mineral alteration in a 4000-year-old volcanic ash soil on St. Vincent, B. W. I.. American Journal of Science 258 1960 354 368 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horsfield, W. T. Late Tertiary and Quaternary crustal movements in Jamaica. Journal of the Geological Society of Jamaica 13 1973 6 13 Google Scholar
Kalu, A. E. The African dust plume: Its characteristics and propagation across West Africa in winter Morales, C. Saharan Dust: Mobilization, Transport, Deposition 1979 Wiley Chichester 95 118 Google Scholar
Kolla, V. Biscaye, P. E. Hanley, A. F. Distribution of quartz in late Quaternary Atlantic sediments in relation to climate. Quaternary Research 11 1979 261 277 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, B. Moore, C. B. Principles of Geochemistry 1982 Wiley New York 344 Google Scholar
McKown, D. M. Millard, H. T. Jr. Determination of uranium and thorium by delayed neutron counting Baedecker, P. A. Methods for Geochemical Analysis. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1770 1987 I1 I12 Google Scholar
Mesolella, K. J. Matthews, R. K. Broecker, W. S. Thurber, F. L. The astronomical theory of climatic change: Barbados data. Journal of Geology 77 1969 250 274 Google Scholar
Moore, W. S. Somayajulu, B. L. K. Age determinations of fossil corals using 230Th/234Th and 230Th/227Th. Journal of Geophysical Research 79 1974 5065 5068 Google Scholar
Muhs, D. R. A soil chronosequence on Quaternary marine terraces, San Clemente Island, California. Geoderma 28 1982 257 283 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muhs, D. R. Crittenden, R. C. Rowland, T. R. A soil chronosequence on uranium-series dated coral terraces, Barbados, West Indies. American Quaternary Association Program and Abstracts 1986 156 Google Scholar
Muhs, D. R. Bush, C. A. Rowland, T. R. Uranium-series age determinations of Quaternary eolianites and implications for sea-level history, New Providence Island, Bahamas. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 19 7 1987 780 Google Scholar
Muhs, D. R. Crittenden, R. C. Rosholt, J. N. Bush, C. A. Stewart, K. C. Genesis of marine terrace soils, Barbados, West Indies: Evidence from mineralogy and geochemistry. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 12 1987 605 618 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pokras, E. M. Mix, A. C. Eolian evidence for spatial variability of late Quaternary climates in tropical Africa. Quaternary Research 24 1985 137 149 Google Scholar
Prospero, J. M. Arid regions as sources of mineral aerosols in the atmosphere. Geological Society of America Special Paper 186 1981 71 86 Google Scholar
Prospero, J. M. Nees, R. T. Dust concentration in the atmosphere of the equatorial North Atlantic: possible relationship to the Sahelian drought. Science 196 1977 1196 1198 Google Scholar
Prospero, J. M. Nees, R. T. Impact of the North African drought and El Nino on mineral dust in the Barbados trade winds. Nature (London) 320 1986 735 738 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prospero, J. M. Nees, R. T. Deposition rate of particulate and dissolved aluminum derived from Saharan dust in precipitation at Miami, Florida. Journal of Geophysical Research 92 1987 14,723 14,731 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prospero, J. M. Glaccum, R. A. Nees, R. T. Atmospheric transport of soil dust from Africa to South America. Nature (London) 289 1981 570 572 Google Scholar
Prospero, J. M. Bonatti, E. Schubert, C. Carlson, T. N. Dust in the Caribbean atmosphere traced to an African dust storm. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 9 1970 287 293 Google Scholar
Pye, K. Bauxites gathering dust. Nature (London) 333 1988 800 801 Google Scholar
Radtke, U. Grun, R. Schwarcz, H. P. Electron spin resonance dating of the Pleistocene reef tracts of Barbados. Quaternary Research 29 1988 197 215 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosholt, J. N. Uranium-trend systematics for dating Quaternary sediments. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-298 1985 34 Google Scholar
Rydell, H. S. Prospero, J. M. Uranium and thorium concentrations in wind-borne Saharan dust over the western equatorial North Atlantic ocean. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 14 1972 397 402 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Savoie, D. L. Prospero, J. M. Aerosol concentration statistics for the northern tropical Atlantic. Journal of Geophysical Research 82 1977 5954 5964 Google Scholar
Scholten, J. J. Andriesse, W. Morphology, genesis and classification of three soils over limestone, Jamaica. Geoderma 39 1986 1 40 Google Scholar
Sigurdsson, H. Carey, S. N. Marine tephrochronology and Quaternary explosive volcanism in the Lesser Antilles arc Self, S. Sparks, R. S. J. Tephra Studies 1981 Dordrecht Holland 255 280 Google Scholar
Sigurdsson, H. Sparks, R. S. J. Carey, S. N. Huang, T. C. Volcanogenic sedimentation in the Lesser Antilles arc. Journal of Geology 88 1980 523 540 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szabo, B. J. 230Th, 231Pa, and open system dating of fossil corals and shells. Journal of Geophysical Research 84 1979 4927 4930 Google Scholar
Szabo, B. J. Halley, R. B. 230Th/234U ages of aragonitic corals from the Key Largo limestone of south Fla. American Quaternary Association Program and Abstracts 1988 154 Google Scholar
Taggart, J. E. Jr. Lindsay, J. R. Scott, B. A. Vivit, D. V. Bartel, A. J. Stewart, K. C. Analysis of geologic materials by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry Baedecker, P. A. Methods for Geochemical Analysis. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1770 1987 E1 E19 Google Scholar
Talbot, R. W. Harriss, R. C. Browell, E. V. Gregory, G. L. Sebacher, D. I. Beck, S. M. Distribution and geochemistry of aerosols in the tropical North Atlantic troposphere: Relationship to Saharan dust. Journal of Geophysical Research 91 1986 5173 5182 CrossRefGoogle Scholar