Palaeosols finds in Devonian deposits on the archipelago Spitsbergen

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Abstract

A detailed study of Devonian rock outcrops in western Spitsbergen (Dickson Land) was conducted during the expedition in the Pyramiden mine area to identify and select palaeosols. The studies of pre-Quaternary palaeosols on the Spitsbergen archipelago were initiated due to the completeness of the Devonian geological section and the abundance of palaeobotanical finds. Devonian palaeosols and pedocomplexes were discovered in the valleys of the Muninelva, Torelva and Hugindalen rivers, and palaeosol samples were collected over a wide geological interval (D1–D3). The palaeosols are characterized by a complete profile and the preservation of plant imprints and, in some cases, plant tissues. The studied objects represent palaeosols of various genesis. The obtained research results indicate that the continental formation is widely represented in the Devonian deposits of the archipelago. The analytical results allow us to reconstruct terrestrial ecosystems and climate on the Spitsbergen archipelago in the Devonian and, in the future, when accumulating information, to compare them with the palaeosol data accumulated over the last decade for the Central Devonian field (European part of the Russian Federation) and to expand our understanding of the Earth's soil cover and climatic zonality of the past.

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About the authors

A. O. Alekseev

Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: alekseev@issp.psn.ru

Corresponding Member of the RAS

Russian Federation, Moscow region, Pushchino

T. V. Alekseeva

Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: alekseev@issp.psn.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow region, Pushchino

V. E. Demidov

Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: alekseev@issp.psn.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow region, Pushchino

P. I. Kalinin

Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: alekseev@issp.psn.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow region, Pushchino

V. V. Malyshev

Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: alekseev@issp.psn.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow region, Pushchino

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Map-diagram of the research region with observation points and sampling of paleosols during the expedition research in 2023.

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3. Fig. 2. Photo of paleosols (PP1) with plant remains in the area ofPyramid. (a, b, c – valley of the Muninelva river deposits of the Franskian stage, arrows show fossilized trunks and imprints (a, b) and roots (c); d, e – paleosolves (PP2) on rocks of the Zhivetsky stage valley of the Torelva river; e – paleopedocomplex formed on loess-like loams of the Franskian stage valley of the Torelva river

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4. Fig. 3. Diffractograms of gross samples of PP1 paleosol: 1 – horizon 0-10 cm; 2 – horizon 10-20 cm; 3 – horizon 20-35 cm. Abbreviations: Chl – chlorite, I – illite, K – kaolinite, Lp – lepidocrocite, Qz – quartz

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5. 4. Results of a submicroscopic examination of plant remains by scanning electron microscopy of paleosol material in the valley of the Torelva River: a – PP2 paleosol; b – PP3 paleosol.

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