[ Morphogenèse hydrique et éolienne au sud du Hodna (Algérie) ]
Volume 6, Issue 3, July 2014, Pages 456–465
Salah ABDESSELAM1 and Amor HALITIM2
1 Laboratoire LAPAPEZA, Département d'agronomie, ISVSA Université Hadj Lakhdar Batna, Algeria
2 Laboratoire LAPAPEZA, Département d'agronomie, ISVSA Université Hadj Lakhdar Batna, Algeria
Original language: French
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Hodna is located in arid region in central Algeria. In this area, wind erosion is very important; it is also crossed by several small water courses. Periodic floods moisten the soil, bring alluvium and contribute to leaching salts. They also enrich the soil with minerals. The main objective of this work is to study the origin of the sediments using quartz grain morphoscopy, to analyse their particle size distribution and their vertical variation in soil profiles. Three profiles, located in agricultural parcels used for several years, were selected. Control samples were taken in adjacent parcels. 23 samples, corresponding to the soil horizons were collected in the field. Statistical analysis of soil samples shows that the sand fraction is important and dominates the particle size distribution of these soils. The increase of the fine fraction (fine silt and clay) coincides with the lower percentage of total sand and vice versa and, limestone changes proportionally with the fine fraction and suggesting its location in this fraction. At depth, the decrease of sands always corresponds to an increase of the fine fraction. This enrichment appears to be located in the median horizons where the textural profile marks a wave showing the highest values. In the surface horizons in agricultural parcels, the fine elements content are always greater than the controls. This is related to the tillage which comes back the fine elements in the surface. The morphoscopic analysis of sands revealed mixed deposits fluvial and wind. The comparison of agricultural parcels and controls indicates a change in the surface horizon due to tillage. This study shows also signs of significant current wind action in surface.
Author Keywords: South Hodna, quartz grain morphoscopy, particle size distribution, water transport, wind transport, agriculture.
Volume 6, Issue 3, July 2014, Pages 456–465
Salah ABDESSELAM1 and Amor HALITIM2
1 Laboratoire LAPAPEZA, Département d'agronomie, ISVSA Université Hadj Lakhdar Batna, Algeria
2 Laboratoire LAPAPEZA, Département d'agronomie, ISVSA Université Hadj Lakhdar Batna, Algeria
Original language: French
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Hodna is located in arid region in central Algeria. In this area, wind erosion is very important; it is also crossed by several small water courses. Periodic floods moisten the soil, bring alluvium and contribute to leaching salts. They also enrich the soil with minerals. The main objective of this work is to study the origin of the sediments using quartz grain morphoscopy, to analyse their particle size distribution and their vertical variation in soil profiles. Three profiles, located in agricultural parcels used for several years, were selected. Control samples were taken in adjacent parcels. 23 samples, corresponding to the soil horizons were collected in the field. Statistical analysis of soil samples shows that the sand fraction is important and dominates the particle size distribution of these soils. The increase of the fine fraction (fine silt and clay) coincides with the lower percentage of total sand and vice versa and, limestone changes proportionally with the fine fraction and suggesting its location in this fraction. At depth, the decrease of sands always corresponds to an increase of the fine fraction. This enrichment appears to be located in the median horizons where the textural profile marks a wave showing the highest values. In the surface horizons in agricultural parcels, the fine elements content are always greater than the controls. This is related to the tillage which comes back the fine elements in the surface. The morphoscopic analysis of sands revealed mixed deposits fluvial and wind. The comparison of agricultural parcels and controls indicates a change in the surface horizon due to tillage. This study shows also signs of significant current wind action in surface.
Author Keywords: South Hodna, quartz grain morphoscopy, particle size distribution, water transport, wind transport, agriculture.
Abstract: (french)
La zone du Hodna, localisée en zone aride au centre de l'Algérie, est marquée par une érosion éolienne importante ; elle est aussi traversée par plusieurs petits cours d'eau dont les crues humidifient le sol et déposent les alluvions. Elles contribuent ainsi au lessivage des sels et à l'enrichissement du sol en éléments minéraux fins. Dans ce travail, il s'agit d'étudier l'origine des sédiments en utilisant la morphoscopie des sables, d'analyser leur granulométrie et leur variation verticale sur fosses pédologiques. Trois profils localisés dans des parcelles travaillées depuis plusieurs années et des témoins adjacents ont été utilisés. Au total 23 échantillons ont été prélevés. L'analyse statistique des horizons des profils montre que la fraction sableuse est importante et marque la composition granulométrique de ces sols. L'augmentation de la fraction fine (argile et limon fin) coïncide avec la diminution des pourcentages des sables totaux et vis versa et, le calcaire évolue proportionnellement avec la fraction fine, ce qui suggère sa localisation dans cette fraction. En profondeur, la diminution des sables correspond toujours à une augmentation de la fraction fine. Cet enrichissement semble être localisé dans les horizons médians où le profil textural marque une onde indiquant les valeurs les plus élevées. Dans les horizons de surface des parcelles cultivées, la teneur en éléments fins est toujours supérieure à celle du témoin. Ceci est en fait lié au travail du sol qui ramène ces éléments fins en surface. L'analyse morphoscopique des sables a révélé un apport mixte fluviatile et éolien. La comparaison des parcelles travaillées et des parcelles témoins indique un changement au niveau de l'horizon de surface suite au travail du sol. Cette étude révèle aussi des signes d'une action éolienne actuelle en surface.
Author Keywords: Sud Hodna, morphoscopie des sables, granulométrie, transport éolien, transport hydrique, agriculture.
How to Cite this Article
Salah ABDESSELAM and Amor HALITIM, “Fluvial and eolian morphogenesis in south Hodna (Algeria),” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 456–465, July 2014.
