Lateral translocation of soil plasma through a small valley basin in the Northaw Great Wood,Hertfordshire |
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| Authors: | R J Huggett |
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| Abstract: | The paper looks at the process of lateral translocation in a small valley basin from the Northaw Great Wood, Hertfordshire. The valley basin comprises four lithostratigraphic units (London Clay and Pebble Gravel, and the others a mixture of these two), which were initially established in the field by a rough assessment of texture. Particle size analysis validated the lithostratigraphic units as delineated in the field; it was found unnecessary to alter the boundaries of the units. Patterns of lateral translocation of silt and clay (measured by the hydrometer method) and the amorphous colloidal hydrous oxides and hydroxides of Al, Fe, Mn and Si (measured in oxalate solution by atomic absorption spectrophotometry) are inferred from balance sheets of the relative gains and losses of the materials. Materials from horizons formed in lithostratigraphic units derived from London Clay are balanced against a clay dilution factor; those from the lithostratigraphic unit of Pebble Gravel against the dilution of sand on a clay-free basis. The results lead to the following conclusions about the process of lateral translocation: it has been a significant contributor to soil development; larger amounts of material have moved down-slope towards the hollow than over the nose because there has, theoretically, been more throughflow in the hollow; for some materials there has been less down-slope transport in lower horizons owing to less throughflow in them. |
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| Keywords: | Balance sheet Hollow Lateral translocation Nose Soil landscape Three-dimensional Throughflow Valley basin |
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