Matthew Salinas
Pronouns: He/Him
Research Mentor(s): Naomi Levin
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences / LSA
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 4 – 2:40pm – 3:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Matthew Salinas, Julia Kelson, Naomi Levin
Presenter: 59
Abstract
Pedogenic carbonates are formed by the dissolution and reprecipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the soil. Pedogenic carbonates are relevant today as we look for ways to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide. They can also be used to help reconstruct past climates through isotopic analysis. Pedogenic carbonates are typically found in arid to semi-arid environments; Michigan is much wetter than the typical environment pedogenic carbonates are found in. Despite that, Jin et al. (2009) found that glacial-derived till in the Michigan area is enriched in parent carbonate, indicating that under the right conditions, pedogenic carbonate formation might be possible. Subsequently, workers from the Isotopologue Paleosciences Lab at the University of Michigan also observed pedogenic carbonate at the Edwin S. George Reserve in sub-humid southern Michigan. If there is a significant amount of pedogenic carbonate in southern Michigan, creating a map that predicts its presence could aid in the understanding of pedogenic carbonate formation. For this study, we developed a map using GIS software and maps of both soils and geologic landforms. The main two sources used were the Gridded Soil Survey Geographic Database or gSSURGO (the US Department of Agriculture) and a map of the Glacial Land Systems in Michigan (Groundwater Inventory and Mapping Project). Our newly developed map indicates areas that contain features with a higher probability of pedogenic carbonate through considering the following variables: soil texture, parent carbonate amount, and glacial formations. We tested potential locations in the field and refined our map based on conditions of locations where we observed pedogenic carbonate. Our map indicates that no single variable is a great indicator of pedogenic carbonate potential. In addition, although many of the features change a lot within smaller areas (less than a km2), over a larger area (on the order of 100 km2), the general patterns and agreements between different features give a better sense for a location’s potential to have pedogenic carbonates. Our predictive map of pedogenic carbonate in southern Michigan could help researchers evaluate soil in the area as a potential carbon sink. Our map can also help us sample pedogenic carbonates to further our knowledge of paleoclimates in Michigan.
Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary
