FT-IR spectroscopy reveals that ash water repellency is highly dependent on ash chemical composition

Soil water repellency

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

DLAPA, P.

Dep. of Soil Science, Fac. of natural Science, Comenius Univ., Bratislava, Slovaquie

BODÍ, M.B.

SEDER (Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group), Dept. de Geografia, Univ., València, Espagne

MATAIX-SOLERA, J.

GEA-Grupo de Edafología Ambiental, Dep. de Agroquímica y Medio Ambiente, Univ. Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Espagne

CERDÀ, A.

SEDER (Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group), Dept. de Geografia, Univ., València, Espagne

DOERR, S.H.

Dept. of Geography, College of Science, Univ., Swansea, Royaume-Uni

JORDÁN, A.

MED_Soil Research Group, Dep. de Cristalografía, Mineralogía y Química Agrícola, Fac. de Química, Univ., Sevilla, Espagne

ZAVALA, L.M.

MED_Soil Research Group, Dep. de Cristalografía, Mineralogía y Química Agrícola, Fac. de Química, Univ., Sevilla, Espagne

MATAIX-SOLERA, J.

GEA-Grupo de Edafología Ambiental, Dep. de Agroquímica y Medio Ambiente, Univ. Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Espagne

DOERR, S.H.

Geography Dept., Univ., Swansea, Royaume-Uni

Description :
Ten ash samples with different wettability were each taken from 4 burned Mediterranean forest sites located at Albaida (A), Llíber (L), Navalón (N), and Pinoso (P), in the east of Spain. The persistence of water repellency of samples was assessed by the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test and Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) analysis was applied to characterise sample chemical composition. Ash water repellency varied from wettable to severely water repellent and differed in terms of maximum WDPT and number of water repellent samples within the four locations. In all FT-IR spectra obtained, the absorbance bands assigned to organic matter and carbonates were dominant. Organic matter content in all water repellent ash samples was more than twice the carbonate content. From the results obtained it is concluded that the water repellency or wettability of wildfire ash is driven by the ratio of remaining organic matter to emerging carbonates, which in turn, is related to fire severity.

Type de document :
Article de monographie

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2013, vol. 108, p. 35-43, nombre de pages : 9, Références bibliographiques : 1 p.

Date :
2013

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena

Langue :
Anglais