Systematic geochemical study of the soils, litter, and bedrock of a Permian limestone mountain, Central Japan

摘要

The paper deals with the results of a systematic geochemical study of soils at Mt Kinshozan in Central Japan, a limestone area known for its well-preserved Permian fossils. Compared with the typical composition of the Japanese upper continental crust, here the soils were found depleted in Si, Ca, Na, Mg, and K and rich in Ti, Al, and Fe. They were enriched with some heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn) detected also in the acetic-acid residue of the limestone collected from Mt. Kinshozan. Therefore, the residual materials produced through chemical weathering of the limestone bedrock may have significantly contributed to the soils formation. Concentrations of C_total were nearly identical to C_org and the relationship between C_total and Element/TiO₂ suggested a significant contribution of the litter to Si, Mg, Ca, and P in the soils.