Groundwater Chemistry and Formation of Carbonate Concretions in Alluvial Soils

Abstract

Gangetic alluvial soils of Uttar Pradesh typically contain carbonate concretions (kankar) of different morphology at various depths. The concretion mineralogy has been correlated with local groundwater chemistry by calculating mineral solubility products from available thermodynamic data. It is concluded that carbonate minerals are precipitated from supersaturated groundwater in pore space leading to formation of concretions.