Ratio of elements in humic acids as a source of information on the environment of soil formation

Abstract

This paper considers the informative importance of one of the main features that characterize humic acids of soils at the diagnosis of the natural environment of their formation in both the present and the past. It is shown that the ratio of elements in the humic acids clearly corresponds to the landscape conditions and quantitative characteristics of climatic parameters. They persist over time and can serve as one of the reliable indicators in assessing the environment of different periods of paleogeographic history. © 2012 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.