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From: mikew@wheeler.wrcr.unr.edu (Mike Whitbeck)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Soil composition (chemical breakdown)
Message-ID: <2878@tahoe.unr.edu>
Date: 11 Aug 89 06:20:54 GMT
References: <1449@hydra.gatech.EDU>
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In article <1449@hydra.gatech.EDU> steve%revolver@gatech.edu writes:
>NOTE: Followups to this message have been directed to sci.bio
>
>     I have a question that some of you may have the expertise to answer
>for me.  Can anyone give me a range of elemental composition for common
>surface soils, especially those that are relatively high in carbon.  I
>mean here untreated soils, i.e. soils that do not have fertilizers applied
>to them artificially.
>
Soil (dirt) is different stuff EVERYWHERE (move an inch or two
in any direction or depth and get completely different
analytical results)- its the ORIGINAL inhomogeneous sample!

But you might want to take a look at "Chemical Equilibria in
Soils" by W.L. Lindsay, John Wiley and Sons, NY.

You will find most elements at some concentration in surface
soil-  O, Al, Fe, Cr, Si, Pb, Mn, Ca, Na, K, H, Cu, ...

Check texts on "enviroinmental" geology as well for tables of
elemnetal abundances.