ENVIRONMENTAL MAGNETISM STUDY OF WESTERN MEXICO VOLCANIC SOILS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH LAKE SEDIMENTS

The magnetic properties analysis has been consolidated quickly as an important tool in environmental research, as well as a worthy tool in soil studies in Mexico. In the last decade, several studies have been carried out to comprise the role of weather conditions in magnetic mineralogy, and their influence in pedogenesis pathway and soil evolution, as well as the relationship of magnetic soil sign with other environment records. In order to achieve these goals, we analyze a set of magnetic parameters and some soil physical properties of three soil profiles located around Lake Zirahuen and of lacustrine sediments. The results allowed identifying Ti-magnetites and maghemites as the main magnetic phases which control the magnetic properties of soils. The mixture of ferrimagnetic particles with different grain sizes reflects diverse weathering degree of parent material of soils (bombs, basalts and volcaniclastics). The magnetic signal of soils has a close relationship with the magnetic record of the lake sediments, which is useful to identify the source of sediments, soil erosion rates, pedogenesis pathway, as well as environmental conditions.