Geochemical evolution of soils developed from pyroclastic rocks of Trindade Island, South Atlantic

Abstract

The geochemical behavior of the major, minor, trace and rare earths elements (REEs) in soil profiles from ultramafic volcanoclastic rocks of the Vulcão do Paredão and Morro Vermelho Formation from Trindade Island (TI) was analyzed in this study. Losses and gains of chemical elements were calculated through the mass balance for two profiles along the slope: one located at higher altitude (460 m) and the other at lower altitude (258 m). In all profiles, Al, Fe and Ti accumulate due to their low mobility, whereas Ca, Na, K and Mg are the most intensely leached. Soils located at lower altitude show higher K and Mg values in the surface due to the contribution of saline sprays. Leaching of the REEs from higher to the lower slope led to the enrichment of these elements, especially the light REEs, in the soil at the lowest altitude (258 m). The high altitude profile showed Ce positive anomaly due to longer exposure to weathering. The geochemical balance shows a relative enrichment of Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Cr, Ni, V, Zr, S related to the loss of mobile elements during the soil formation process, despite the youthful nature of these volcanic rocks.