Mineralogy and Elemental Associations in Flood-Plain Soils

Sand, silt and clay mineralogy and total elemental composition of fifteen profiles representative of the flood-plains of Beas, Satluj and Ghaggar rivers of Punjab were investigated. Minerals present in these soils are quartz, micas, feldspars and chlorite in sand and silt fractions and illite, smectite, kaolinite, chlorite and vermiculite in clay fractions. Heavy minerals like biotite, hornblende, augite, zircon and garnet are present in the sand fractions of Beas and Satluj flood-plains but are absent in Ghaggar flood-plains. The mineralogy of Beas and Satluj flood plains is comparable but is different from that of Ghaggar flood-plains. The Beas flood-plain soils contain higher amounts of Ca and Na and lower amounts of Cu and Zn whereas Satluj flood-plain soils are higher in Mn, Fe, Mg and K. Ghaggar flood-plain soils contain highest amount of Cu and Zn with all other elements in lowest contents.