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Significance of Precambrian Paleosols

  • Chapter
Early Organic Evolution

Abstract

The economic significance of Precambrian paleosols largely lies in their common association with stratabound uranium ore. Their significance to resolution of Earth history depends upon their origin. There are four possible genetic models for known paleosols, i.e., the biologic, abiologic, exhalative, and bolide-impact models. Biologic soil formation is well understood from studies of modern soils. The abiologic model assumes that land plants have measurably affected soil formation only since the Ordovician. The exhalative model assumes that terrestrial exhalation of deeplycirculating fluids has contributed to surficial alteration. The bolide-impact model assumes that impacts have modified atmospheric chemistry long enough to enhance weathering detectably.

Insufficient data presently exist to evaluate the four alternative models clearly. The bolide-impact model is considered inappropriate for all known paleosols and none of the other three models is considered adequate to account for all Precambrian paleosols. The abiologic model has been developed in recent literature and the exhalative model is introduced in this paper. In all four models, the composition of the ambient atmosphere would have influenced paleosol development. However, deduction of that composition would be extremely difficult from biologic, exhalative, or bolide-impact paleosols.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8208, USA

    Michael M. Kimberley

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  1. Michael M. Kimberley
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. IGCP Project 157, Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie (Otto-Hahn-Institut), Saarstr. 23, W-6500, Mainz, Germany

    Manfred Schidlowski (Chairman) (Chairman)

  2. Biological Science Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Stjepko Golubic

  3. Dept. of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8208, USA

    Michael M. Kimberley

  4. Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, S.A., 5001, Australia

    David M. McKirdy Sr. (Lecturer) (Lecturer)

  5. Division of Continental Geology, Bureau of Mineral Resources, GPO Box 378, Canberra, A.C.T., 2601, Australia

    Philip A. Trudinger

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© 1992 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kimberley, M.M. (1992). Significance of Precambrian Paleosols. In: Schidlowski, M., Golubic, S., Kimberley, M.M., McKirdy, D.M., Trudinger, P.A. (eds) Early Organic Evolution. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76884-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76884-2_9

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