Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The relationship between hydrodynamic properties and weathering of soils derived from volcanic rocks, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to examine a component of the hydrological cycle in Galapagos by characterizing soil properties. Nine soil profiles were sampled on two islands. Their physical and hydrodynamic properties were analyzed, along with their mineralogical composition. Two groups of soils were identified, with major differences between them. The first group consists of soils located in the highlands (>350 m a.s.l.), characterized by low hydraulic conductivity (<10−5 m s−1) and low porosity (<25%). These soils are thick (several meters) and homogeneous without coarse components. Their clay fraction is considerable and dominated by gibbsite. The second group includes soils located in the low parts of the islands (<300 m a.s.l.). These soils are characterized by high hydraulic conductivity (>10−3 m s−1) and high porosity (>35%). The structure of these soils is heterogeneous and includes coarse materials. The physical properties of the soils are in good agreement with the variations of the rainfall according to the elevation, which appears as the main factor controlling the soil development. The clayey alteration products constrain soils physical and hydrodynamic properties by reducing the porosity and consequently the permeability and also by increasing water retention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adelinet M (2005) Étude hydrologique des bassins versants de l’île de San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Équateur (hydrological study of the watersheds of San Cristobal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador). Master’s thesis, ENS Paris

  • Boivin P, Touma J, Zante P (1987) Mesure de l’infiltrabilité du sol par la méthode du double anneau 1. résultats expérimentaux (Soil seepage measurements by double ring method 1. Experimental results). Cah ORSTOM, sér Pédol XXIV(1):17–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Buytaert W, Sevink J, De Leeuw B, Deckers J (2005) Clay mineralogy of the soils in the south Ecuadorian páramo region. Geoderma 127:114–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Certini G, Wilson M, Hillier S, Fraser A, Delbos E (2006) Mineral weathering in thrachydacitic-derived soils and saprolites involving formation of embryonic halloysite and gibbsite at Mt. Amiata, Central Italy. Geoderma 133:173–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorel M, Roger-Estrade J, Manichon H, Delvaux B (2000) Porosity and soil water properties of Caribbean volcanic ash soils. Soil Use Manage 16:133–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dubroeucq D, Geissert D, Quantin P (1998), Weathering and soil forming processes under semi-arid conditions in two Mexican volcanic ash soils. Geoderma. 86(1):99–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fontes J, Gonçalves M, Pereira L (2004) Andosols of Terceira, Azores: measurement and significance of soil hydraulic properties. Catena 56:145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geist D, Mc Birney A, Duncan R (1985) Geology and petrogenesis of lavas from San Cristóbal, Galápagos Archipelago. Geol Soc Am Bull 97:555–566

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geist D, Nauman T, Larson P (1998) Evolution of Galápagos magmas: mantle and crustal fractionation without assimilation. J Petrol 39:953–971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gense C (1970) Premières observations sur l’altération de quelques roches des Hautes Terres malgaches (First observations of weathering for several rocks in Highlands of Madagascar). Cah ORSTOM, sér Pédol VIII(4):451–467

    Google Scholar 

  • Giertz S, Diekkrüge B (2003) Analysis of the hydrological process in a small headwater catchment in Benin (West Africa). Phys Chem Earth 28:1333–1341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giertz S, Junge B, Diekkrüger B (2005) Assessing the effects of land use change on soil physical properties and hydrological processes in the sub-humid tropical environment of West Africa. Phys Chem Earth. 30:485–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guéguen Y, Palciaukas V (1994) Introduction to the physics of rocks. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Humbel F (1975) Etude de la macroporosité des sols par des tests de perméabilité: Application d’un modèle de filtration aux sols ferralitiques du Cameroun (Study of soil macroporosity through permeability measurements). Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Pédol. vol. XIII

  • Ingala, Pronareg, Orstom (1989) inventario cartografico de los recursos naturales geomorfologia, vegetacion, hidricos, ecologicos y biofisicos de las islas Galápagos, Ecuador. Ingala

  • Ipade, Fundar (2003) Diagnostico fisico y quimico de los suelos agricolas de la isla San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador. Ipade

  • Laruelle J (1966) Study of soil sequence on Indefatigable Island. In: Bowman RI The Galápagos. University of California, CA, pp 87–97

  • Leroux Y, Janeau J (1996) Caracterización hidrodinámica de un suelo volcánico endurecido del Ecuador (cangahua), influencia de los estados de superficie. Memorias del III simposio internacíonal sobre suelos volcánicos endurecidos

  • Li D, Velde B, Zhang T (2004) Observations of pores and aggregates during aggregation in some clay-rich agricultural soils as seen in 2D image analysis. Geoderma 118:191–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lulli L, Bidini D, Quantin P (1988) A climo and litho soil-sequence on the Vico Volcano (Italy). Cah ORSTOM, sér Pédol XXIV(1):49–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Malucelli F, Terribile F, Colombo C (1999) Mineralogy, micromorphology and chemical analysis of andosols on the Island of São Miguel (Azores). Geoderma 88:73–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marion D, Nur A, Yin H, Han D (1992) Compressional velocity and porosity in sand-clay mixtures. Geophysics 57:554–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Marsily G (1986) Quantitative Hydrogeology. Groundwater hydrology for engineers. Academic Press, NY

  • Mc Birney A, Williams H (1969) Geology and petrology of the Galápagos Islands. Geol Soc Am Mem 118:1–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ndayiragije S, Delvaux B (2003) Coexistence of allophane, gibbsite, kaolinite and hydroxy-Al-interlayed 2:1 clay minerals in a perudic Andosol. Geoderma 117:203–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pusch R, Weston R (2003) Microstructural stability controls the hydraulic conductivity of smectitic buffer clay. Appl Clay Sci 23:35–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quantin P (1972) Les andosols, revue bibliographique des connaissances actuelles (Andosols, an actual review). Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Pédol. X(3):273–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Quantin P (1974) Hypothèses sur la genèse des andosols en climat tropical: Evolution de la pédogenèse initiale en milieu bien drainé, sur roche volcanique (hypothesis about andosol genesis in a tropical climate: evolution of primary pedogenesis in a well drained environment on volcanic rock). Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Pédol. XII(1):3–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Quantin P, Balesdent J, Bouleau A, Delaune M, Feller C (1991) Premiers stades d’altération de ponces volcaniques en climat tropical humide (Montagne Pelée, Martinique) (The early stages of soil development on dacito-andesitic pyroclasts in the humid tropics, Martinique). Geoderma. 50:125–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Revil A, Cathles LM (1999) Permeability of shaly sands. Water Resour Res 35(3)651:662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarah P, Rodeh Y (2003) Soil structure variations under manipulations of water and vegetation. J Arid Environ 58:43–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skipper NT, Lock PA, Titiloye JO, Swenson J, Mirza ZA, Spencer Howells W, Fernandez-Alonso F (2006) The structure and dynamics of 2-dimensional fluids in swelling clays. Chem Geol 230:182–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spaans E, Baltissen G, Bouma J, Miedema R, Lansu A, Schoonderbeek D, Wielemaker W (1989) Changes in physical properties of young and old volcanic surface soils in Costa Rica after clearing of tropical rain forest. Hydrol process 3:383–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka T, Sunarta N (1994) Relationship between regional changes of soil physical properties and volcanic stratigraphy on the southern slope of Batur volcano in the island of Bali, Indonesia. Environ Geol 23:182–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tegedor Salguero M, Garcia L, Jimenez C, Fernandez Calas E (1986) Evolution différenciée de la ferrallitisation dans un profil complexe d’altération de roches volcaniques acides et basiques superposées, à Ténérife îles Canaries (Differential evolution of ferrallitisation in a complex weathering profile of volcanic rocks, Canary Islands). Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Pédol. XXII(1):77–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Touma J, Boivin P (1988) Mesure de l’infiltrabilité du sol par la méthode du double anneau 2. Résultats numériques (Soil Seepage measurements by double ring method 1. Numerical results). Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Pédol XXIV(1):27–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Velde B (1999) Structure of surface cracks in soil and muds. Geoderma 93:101–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh JB, Brace WF (1984) The effect of pressure on porosity and the transport properties of rock. J Geophys Res 89:9425–9431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe T, Funakawa S, Kosaki T (2006) Clay mineralogy and its relationship to soil solution composition in soils from different weathering environments of humid Asia: Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. Geoderma 136:51–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White W, McBirney A, Duncan R (1993) Petrology and geochemistry of the Galapagos Islands: Portrait of a pathological mantle plume. J Geophys Res 98(B11):19533–19563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zebrowski C (1975) Propriétés et pédogenèse de certains sols sur roches volcaniques de la région d’Antsirabe (Madagascar) (soil properties and pedogenesis on volcanic rocks, Antsirabe, Madagascar). Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Pédol XIII(1):49–59

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the constructive comments of reviewers, their suggestions enhanced the manuscript. This work benefited from discussions with many scientists, among them the authors would like to thank Ghislain de Marsily and Yves Guéguen. The authors also warmly thank Professor B. Velde at the Laboratoire de Géologie of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris for his help with the porosity protocol. Acknowledgments are also due to P. Barré, student of Professor B. Velde, for his help during XRD measurements and interpretations. The authors are also grateful to their sponsors: Fondation de France, Fondation Véolia-environnement, Fondation Schlumberger-Seed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Normale Supérieure, Laboratoire de Géologie, UMR 8538, Paris, France

    M. Adelinet & J. Fortin

  2. Université Pierre et Marie Curie, UMR 7619, Sisyphe, Paris, France

    N. d’Ozouville & S. Violette

Authors
  1. M. Adelinet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Fortin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N. d’Ozouville
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Violette
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Adelinet.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Adelinet, M., Fortin, J., d’Ozouville, N. et al. The relationship between hydrodynamic properties and weathering of soils derived from volcanic rocks, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). Environ Geol 56, 45–58 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1138-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1138-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation