The study of clay and soil development that effected by drainage and land use on the Karoon River

The aim of this study was soil and clay mineral diversity in alluvial soils of Karoon River. For this, 14 profiles were described on transect perpendicular to the direction of eastern Karoon River bank. These profiles has 1 Kilometer distance and have different drainage and land use. The results show that soil salinity increased and OM decreased with increasing distance from Karoon bank. It was refer to drainage class changes. Ochric epipedon was diagnostic in all pedons. The subsurface horizons were restricted to cambic and salic horizons. The cambic horizon was formed due to wetting and drying under irrigation or rain, due to this crack and cleavage was formed in subsoils. Also, salic horizons was formed under high saline water table. Chlorite, illite, kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite, and quartz were identified by XRD. Kaolinite, illite, chlorite, and quartz was inherited from parent material. Vermiculite was formed from illite simple transformation due to cultivation and K depletion in soil surface near River bank. Also, smectite was formed in surface of this pedon. These clay were not seen in subsurface of these soils. Illite and chlorite intensity was decreased in surface that this was refer to transformation to vermiculite and smectite. In spite of first pedon, these clay mineral was identified in subsurface soil. This clay mineral was related to high pH, salinity, and Mg concentration in ground water. More study show that this smectite is trioctahedral.