ARS | Publication request: MODELING OF BORON DESORPTION AND LEACHING OF OWENS LAKE SOILS

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: July 28, 2004
Publication Date: October 31, 2004
Citation: Suarez, D.L., Vaughan, P.J. 2004. Modeling of boron desorption and leaching of owens lake soils. Soil Science Society of America. Paper No. 4831.

Technical Abstract: The former Owens Lake bed is now a source of dust adversely impacting air quality in the Owens Valley. Over the past 50+ years' capillary rise from the shallow saline groundwater has resulted in a hypersaline surface environment with EC of soil extracts ranging from 70-140 dS/m, pH values up to 10 and B concentrations of 20-200 mmol/L. The proposed partial vegetation of the area requires that the salinity, pH and B be reduced for plant survival. Column leaching studies were performed with different Owens Lake soil types with a wide range in texture. Column effluent was monitored for B, pH and EC. Predictions of the leaching as a function of applied pore volumes were made using the UNSATCHEM model. In each instance the model utilized only the initial B and solution concentrations, total leachable B, composition of water used for leaching, and generalized soil properties, clay content, organic carbon, inorganic carbon and Al oxide content. The generalized soil properties were used to predict the constant capacitance model parameters for adsorption. Boron concentrations were well predicted by UNSATCHEM, indicating the utility of the model to predict B leaching without measurement of specific soil adsorption isotherms or envelopes.