Modifications of the mineralogical composition and surface properties of soils as related to steppe climate dynamics in historical time

This work presents the results of a study of changes in the soil mineral components and the related modifications of the chemical composition and surface properties of soils in the desert-steppe zone in the southern part of the Ergeni Upland. Burial mounds dating back to the Bronze epoch have been investigated. According to radiocarbon data, their ages are estimated at 5100 ± 50, 4410 ± 100, 4260 ± 120, 4120 ± 70, and 3960 ± 40 years. The substantial transformation of the clay minerals, the molar chemical coefficients, the magnetic mineralogy, and the surface properties of the soils permits us to assess the rates of the mineralogical transformations caused by the climate change during the time interval of less than <∼100 years. The ratio between the content of the mineral phases in the buried soils of different ages testifies to the primary importance of climatic factor in comparison with the total duration of weathering or the soil existence on the land surface prior to its burial, i.e., the soil age.