Study of Micromorphological Evidences of Climate Change During Quaternary Recorded in Paleosols From Isfahan

Paleosols include soils formed under climatic condition different from the present. Although such soils are widespread in central Iran region, adequate investigations of them are yet to be carried out. Micromorphology is one of the most important tools in plaeoclimatological studies. This investigation was carried out to study microscopic features of two paleosols from Isfahan province to reconstruct the paleoclimatic condition during the Quaternary. The results of this study indicate that strong clay coatings are presented in Sepahanshahr paleosol, indicating moisture regime in the past. This paleosol is polygenetic due to calcite and gypsum accumulation during drier periods compared to clay illuviation condition. Micromorphological features in Segzi paleosol indicate that this area has experienced a swampy environment during the younger Dryas. The overall results from this study indicate that climatic oscillation evidences during Quaternary have been preserved in paleosols from Isfahan region.