Abstracts of Symposium 55 and some papers from other related Symposia.

Soil Parent Material Sequences West of Moscow, Russia

Arno KLEBER, University/Geomorphology, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany;
Vsevold GUSEV,Bolschaia Rulevskaia g59 k2 kv26, 121433 Moscow, Russia

The soils of the Russian Plain west of Moscow are mainly formed upon moraines of the penultimate glaciation. They are commonly believed to have gradually formed solely from moraine material; variations of soil properties with depth are explained by pedogenic alteration. Only a few recent publications indicate that the uppermost ca. 50 cm of these coils may have formed in a parent material different from moraine, but as yet there is no discussion of underlying geomorphic and pedogenic processes. Such soils were studied in the area of Mozhayisk, west of Moscow. Their parent materials are built by slope processes, mainly solifluction, and mixing of local sub- strata with loess. The surficial soils comprise two soil forming phases: The older one is an Alfisol, with its E-Bt-boundary located at the discontinuity between the upper- most two layers. These horizons, particularly the F. horizon, are overprinted by in- tense stagnic properties, which are attributed to the recent pedogenic phase.

Deeper in most soils, the properties of the Bt horizon - in particular soil structure and color - change abruptly. Also, soil parent material - texture - changes. In one footslope profile, the loess-rich solifluction material is to thick to be seized by the surficial soil, while an older one is buried below. Therefore, these structural and textural changes indicate two soils separated by another parent material discontinuity. The deepest part of the soil profiles, usually also affected by argillic properties, consists of moraine material. It is not enriched with loess. This material has fragipan-like bulk density and, if clast are contained, they are oriented parallel to the slopes. Since these are not typical features of moraines, they are understood to indicate another slope activity, similar to what is well known from Central Europe or northern Great Britain.

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