Pedogenic calcretes from Coimbatore area, Tamil Nadu: Micromorphology, geochemistry and palaeoclimate significance

In this paper we present geochemistry and micromorphology (petrography and SEM data) study of Quaternary calcretes formed in association with the vertisol and hardpan calcretes-dolocretes formed on bedrock occurring in Coimbatore area, Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore receives an annual average rainfall of 400-500 mm year-1. Understanding the formation of calcretes is important as this region falls in the rain shadow region receiving both the south west as well as northeast monsoon. In the study area the calcretes formed within the vertisols representing the Bk horizon occur as thick profiles (∼3m) in the foothill zone while the laminar hardpan calcretes are found in the topographic lows on the bedrock (0.80-1m). Calcretes occurring in association with the vertisols are powdery calcrete, nodular calcrete and rhizoliths with 95.22% to 64.5% of CaCO3. Nficromorphology study (thin section and SEM study) of the calcretes in vertisols show the occurrence of features such as alveolar septal structures, calcified filaments, coated grains, spherulites, calcified root cells and calcispheres that indicate the biogenic origin of the calcretes, mainly induced by plant root related microbial activity. They consist of quartzose sand grains cemented by fine crystalline, glaebular, grain-coating and pore-filling micrite. Micro fabrics of hardpan calcretes with detritus hosts show evidence of replacement, displacement and shrinkage, indicating that the calcretes formed under relatively ad conditions. These characteristics reflect that the calcretes formed in a relatively near-surface environment with relatively high rates of evaporation. Development of the calcretes in the vertisol profiles took place in phases of soil formation, erosion and reworking. The relationships between these processes caused the formation of different accrete profiles in the foothill region. (author)