Fractionation of Salts in Processes Generating Terrigenous Aerosols

Abstract

The paper presents analysis of concentrations of water-soluble salts in samples from the surface layers of soils in territories of arid climate and the <0.1 mm fractions separated from these samples. Salts are proved to be fractionated in the fine soil fractions. The fractionation coefficients, which are defined as the ratio of ion concentrations in aqueous extracts from the <0.1 mm fraction of bulk soil samples, make up the sequences Na > K > Mg > Ca and SO₄ > HCO₃ > Cl. The fractionation of salts is determined to be dependent on their solubility: the lower the solubility of a salt, the stronger this salt is enriched in the fine soil fraction.