Interpretation of soil erosion in a Polish loess area using OSL, 137Cs, 210Pbex, dendrochronology and micromorphology – case study: Biedrzykowice site (s Poland)

Grzegorz Poręba; Zbigniew Śnieszko; Piotr Moska; Przemysław Mroczek; Ireneusz Malik

doi:10.1515/geochr-2015-0109

Figures & Tables

A – Location of research area on the map of loess distribution (yellow patches) in southern Poland; B – DEM model; C – orthophotomap; D – aerial photo

The spatial patterns of 137Cs and 210Pbex inventories on the studied agricultural field. The data on the figure are expressed in Bq·m–2.

The downslope change of 137Cs and 210Pbex inventories. On the figure is marked the shape of the slope.

Micromorphological features and genetic interpretation of upper part of soil-colluvial sequence in Biedrzykowice.

Micromorphological characteristic of lower part of soil-colluvial sequence in Biedrzykowice. The microphotograph presents massive microstructure in clay-rich soil material.

Core with eccentric growth of tree (A), and ring reduction (B)

The example of depth distributions of 137Cs and 210Pbex for a reference site.

a) The calculated annual 137Cs inventories based on precipitation data and model Sarmiento-Gwinn for a study site; b) The calculated monthly 137Cs inventories based on precipitation data and model Sarmiento-Gwinn for a study site for the period 1962–1964

The spatial patterns soil erosion and sediment accumulation calculated by different models based on radionuclide inventories on the studied agricultural field: a) proportional model based on 137Cs inventories, b) simplified mass balance model based on 137Cs inventories, c) improved mass balance model based on 137Cs inventories, d) improved mass balance model based on 210Pbex inventories.

The depth distribution of the 137Cs and 210Pbex (A), SAR OSL ages (B), grain size composition (C, D) and stratigraphy (E) for the soil core collected from the upper part of the slope.

The results of OSL SAR dating for the side of the gully (B), results of U-238, Th-232 (C) and K-40 (D) analysis as well as grain size analysis (E, F) in samples from the wall of gully. On the figure also shown the results of activity measurements by portable gamma spectrometer (B) and stratigraphy (A).

Graphs showing strong ring reductions in tree no. 1 signed by arrows and grey surfaces (A), tree ring curves form opposite site of the tree no. 3 (B), and yearly variation of eccentricity index of the tree no. 3 (C)

Erosion events dated dendrochronologically (B) compared with rainfalls events recorded in Sielec gauge, dark and light grey colour were used one after the other to make more visible the individual rainfall events on the graph (A).

Micromorphology of colluvial-soil sequence at Biedrzykowice_ Microstructure: ch – channel, co – coprolithic, ma – massive_ Frequency of occurrence: 0 – none, 1 – single, 2 – few, 3 – common, 4 – very common_

Unit	Depth (cm)	Microstructures	Clay coatings and infillings	Fe and Fe-Mn microforms	Fecal pellets	Charcoals
I	10–15	ch-co	0	0	3	2
	25–30	ch	0	2	2	2
	55–60	ch	1	2	1	0
	120–124	ch	2	2	3	2

II	151–155	ch	2	2	2	2
	200–205	ch	2	2	2	1
	231–235	ch	1	2	2	0
	285–290	ch	0	3	2	0
	355–360	ch	0	3	2	0

III	380–385	ch	0	3	4	1
	405–410	ch	3	2	2	3
	425–430	ch-ma	4	3	2	2
	470–475	ch-ma	2	1	0	0

Results of activity concentration measurement (based on low-level semiconductor γ-spectrometry), dose rate calculation, De estimation and OSL ages for sediment samples from Biedrzykowice_ 1Doses for samples collected from a depth lower than 50 cm were corrected with respect to range of gamma rays_ 2Dose rates in this column were obtained by using portable gamma spectrometer in situ

Sample name	Lab code	Depth (cm)	U (Bq·kg^–1)	Th (Bq·kg^–1)	K (Bq·kg^–1)	Dose rate (Gy·ka^–1)	Dose rate² (Gy·ka^–1)	Palaeodose (Gy)	OSL age (ka)
Bie_1_1	GdTL-2906	11–15	31.84±0.44	39.09±0.78	508±17	2.84±0.21¹	2.74±0.20	1.831±0.037	0.645±0.049
Bie_1_2	GdTL-2907	26–30	34.21±0.36	40.08±0.62	502±16	3.08±0.21¹	3.03±0.22	2.182±0.085	0.708±0.056
Bie_1_3	GdTL-2908	55–59	32.71±0.39	38.35±0.65	527±17	3.07±0.22	3.04±0.23	2.29±0.14	0.746±0.070
Bie_1_4	GdTL-2909	120–124	29.53±0.55	36.80±0.83	492±17	2.85±0.20	3.12±0.23	1.922±0.031	0.674±0.049
Bie_1_5	GdTL-2910	151–155	30.82±0.36	38.15±0.63	559±18	3.09±0.22	2.94±0.22	3.052±0.068	0.988±0.074
Bie_1_6	GdTL-2911	200–204	30.23±0.23	38.55±0.48	539±16	3.01±0.22	3.01±0.23	7.88±0.20	2.62±0.20
Bie_1_7	GdTL-2912	231–235	30.11±0.39	37.68±0.69	532±17	2.96±0.21	2.96±0.23	11.11±0.14	3.75±0.27
Bie_1_8	GdTL-2913	286–290	27.97±0.39	34.45±0.68	533±17	2.86±0.21	3.12±0.24	16.32±0.28	5.71±0.43
Bie_1_9	GdTL-2914	356–360	31.51±0.42	34.57±0.70	532±17	2.92±0.21	3.03±0.23	17.67±0.28	6.05±0.45
Bie_1_10	GdTL-2915	380–384	26.20±0.45	31.80±0.74	510±17	2.70±0.20	2.54±0.20	19.70±0.15	7.30±0.54
Bie_1_11	GdTL-2916	406–410	30.63±0.48	34.93±0.77	534±18	2.90±0.21	2.72±0.21	26.19±0.23	9.03±0.66
Bie_1_12	GdTL-2917	425–429	32.62±0.48	36.65±0.79	524±18	2.94±0.21	2.98±0.23	32.40±0.40	11.02±0.80
Bie_1_13	GdTL-2918	471–475	35.15±0.29	40.70±0.53	483±15	2.93±0.21	2.93±0.23	35.8±1.0	12.22±0.94
Bie_2_1	GdTL-3067	12–15	29.99±0.73	34.01±0.81	504±21	2.89±0.22¹	-	2.25±0.18	0.779±0.086
Bie_2_2	GdTL-3068	52–57	30.08±0.72	32.46±0.76	508±21	3.01±0.22	-	42.1±0.95	14.0±1.0
Bie_3_1	GdTL-3069	12–15	31.01±0.67	29.98±0.63	502±21	2.80±0.21¹	-	3.97±0.30	1.42±0.15
Bie_3_2	GdTL-3070	52–57	24.94±0.65	27.26±0.72	455±19	2.64±0.19	-	44.52±0.68	16.9±1.2
Bie_4_1	GdTL-3071	14–18	32.61±0.79	34.72±0.83	528±22	3.02±0.23¹	-	0.528±0.033	0.175±0.017
Bie_4_2	GdTL-3072	54–57	31.76±0.76	32.62±0.82	519±22	3.08±0.22	-	2.58±0.18	0.838±0.084
Bie_4_3	GdTL-3073	91–95	30.28±0.64	33.10±0.67	545±22	3.11±0.23	-	13.05±0.31	4.20±0.33
Bie_4_4	GdTL-3074	110–114	30.26±0.75	33.84±0.84	558±24	3.16±0.23	-	19.83±0.61	6.28±0.50
Bie_4_5	GdTL-3075	145–149	28.03±0.95	33.18±0.94	595±23	3.19±0.24	-	39.17±0.83	12.28±0.96

Interpretation of soil erosion in a Polish loess area using OSL, 137Cs, 210Pbex, dendrochronology and micromorphology – case study: Biedrzykowice site (s Poland)

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Micromorphology of colluvial-soil sequence at Biedrzykowice_ Microstructure: ch – channel, co – coprolithic, ma – massive_ Frequency of occurrence: 0 – none, 1 – single, 2 – few, 3 – common, 4 – very common_

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