Caliche Forest on San Miguel Island.

Caliche is a hardened deposit of calcium carbonate. This calcium carbonate cements together other materials, including gravel, sand, clay, and silt. It is found in aridisol and mollisol soil orders. Caliche occurs worldwide, generally in arid or semi-arid regions, including in central and western Australia, in the Kalahari Desert, in the High Plains of the western USA, and in the Sonoran Desert. Caliche is also known as hardpan, calcrete, kankar (in India), or duricrust. The term caliche is Spanish and is originally from the Latin calx, meaning lime. Image File history File links San-miguel-island-caliche. ... Image File history File links San-miguel-island-caliche. ... Aerial view of San Miguel San Miguel Island is the westernmost of Californias Channel Islands and the sixth-largest of the eight at 9,325 acres (37. ... Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound, with the chemical formula CaCO3. ... Aridisols are a soil order in USA soil taxonomy. ... Mollisols are a soil order in USA soil taxonomy. ... In general terms, the climate of a locale or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. ... Semi-arid generally describes regions that receive low annual rainfall (25 to 50 cm /10 to 20 in) and generally have scrub or grass vegetation. ... Kalahari redirects here. ... The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains in the central United States, located in eastern Colorado, western Kansas, western Nebraska, central and eastern Montana, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, northwestern Texas, and southeastern Wyoming. ... Map of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. ... In soil science, agriculture and gardening, hardpan is a general term for a dense layer of soil, residing usually below the uppermost topsoil layer. ... Duricrust refers to a thin hard layer on or near the surface of soil, Usually a few millimeters to a few centimeters thick. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Caliche is generally light colored but can range from white to light pink to reddish-brown, depending on the impurities present. It is generally found on or near the surface, but it can be found in deeper subsoil deposits as well. The layers can vary from a few inches to feet thick, and multiple layers can exist in a single location.

In northern Chile and Peru, caliche refers to the nitrate salt deposits of the Atacama Desert. Caliche can also refer to various clayey deposits in Chile, Peru, Mexico, and Colombia. In addition, it has been used to describe some forms of quartzite, bauxite, kaolinite, laterite, chalcedony, opal, and soda niter. Trinitrate redirects here. ... Atacama Desert The Atacama Desert is a virtually rainless plateau in South America, extending 966 km (600 mi) between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. ... Quartzite Quartzite (from German Quarzit[1]) is a hard, metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. ... This article is about the ore. ... Kaolin redirects here. ... Cutting of laterite brickstones, Angadipuram, India Laterite is a surface formation in tropical areas which is enriched in iron and aluminium and develops by intensive and long lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock. ... Chalcedony knife, AD 1000-1200 Bloodstone redirects here. ... For other uses, see Opal (disambiguation). ... Soda niter is a mineral form of sodium nitrate, NaNO3, which see for more info. ...

Similar material, but composed of calcium sulfate rather than calcium carbonate, is called gypcrust or gypcrete ("Gyp-Crete" is also a trademarked brand name). Calcium sulphate is a common laboratory and industrial chemical. ... Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound, with the chemical formula CaCO3. ... Gypcrete or gypcrust is a hardened layer of soil, consisting of around 95% gypsum ... “(TM)” redirects here. ...

How it forms

Caliche generally forms when minerals are leached from the upper layer of the soil (the A horizon) and accumulate in the next layer (the B horizon), at depths of approximately 3 to 10 feet under the surface. Caliche generally consists of carbonates in semiarid regions, while in arid regions, less soluble minerals will form caliche layers after all the carbonates have been leached from the soil. The calcium carbonate that is deposited accumulates, first forming grains, then small clumps, then a discernible layer, and finally a thicker, solid bed. As the caliche layer forms, the layer gradually becomes deeper, eventually moving into the parent material, which lies under the upper soil horizons. Leaching may refer to: Leaching (agriculture) Leaching (chemical science) Leaching (metallurgy) Dump leaching Heap leaching Tank leaching Leaching (pedology) Bioleaching Parboiling, also known as leaching Categories: ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Soil horizon. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Soil horizon. ... Parent material, in soil science, means the underlying bedrock from which soil horizons form. ...

However, caliche can also form in other ways. It can form when water rises through capillary action. In an arid region, rainwater will sink into the ground very quickly. Later, as the surface dries out, the water below the surface will rise, carrying dissolved minerals from lower layers upward with it. This water movement forms a caliche that tends to grow thinner and branch out as it nears the surface. Plants can contribute to the formation of caliche as well. The plant roots take up water through transpiration, leaving behind the dissolved calcium carbonate, which precipitates to form caliche. Caliche can also form on outcrops of porous rocks or in rock fissures where water is trapped and evaporates. In general, caliche deposition is a slow process, but if enough moisture is present in an otherwise arid site, it can accumulate fast enough to block a drain pipe. Capillary Flow Experiment to investigate capillary flows and phenomena onboard the International Space Station Capillary action, capillarity, capillary motion, or wicking is the ability of a substance to draw another substance into it. ... Transpiration is the evaporation of excess water from aerial parts and of plants, especially leaves but also stems, flowers and fruits. ... A pore, in general, is some form of opening, usually very small. ...

While the formation of other caliches is relatively well understood, the origin of Chilean caliche is not known definitively. One possibility is that the deposits were formed when a prehistoric inland sea evaporated. Another theory is that it was deposited due to weathering of the Andes. This article is about the mountain system in South America. ...

Caliche - Sedimentary Rock Ridgecrest Kern County California

Economic uses

Building applications

Caliche is used in construction worldwide. The caliche reserves in the Llano Estacado in Texas can be used in the manufacture of Portland cement; the caliche meets the chemical composition requirements and has been used as a principal raw material in Portland cement production in at least one Texas plant. Where the calcium carbonate content is over 80 %, caliche can also be fired and used as a source of lime in areas, which can then be used for soil stabilization. Shaded Relief Image of the Llano Estacado Llano Estacado (or Staked Plains) is a region in the southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Sampling fast set Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage, as it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar and plaster. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

When mixed with small amounts of either pozzolan or Portland cement, caliche can also be used as a building material that will exceed the building code requirements for unfired masonry materials. For example, caliche was used to build some of the Mayan buildings in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. A dormitory in Ingram, Texas and a demonstration building in Carrizo Springs, Texas for the United States Department of Energy were also built using caliche as part of studies by the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems. Pozzolanic ash is an alumino-siliceous material which reacts with calcium hydroxide in the presence of water to form compounds possessing cementitious properties at room temperature, producing C-S-H. This allowed it to be used in the Roman Empire to make cement by combining with lime and water. ... A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. ... This article refers to the building structure component; for the fraternal organization, see Freemasonry. ... This article is about the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ... The Yucatán peninsula as seen from space The Yucatán Peninsula, in Southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... Ingram is a city located in Kerr County, Texas. ... Carrizo Springs is a city in Dimmit County, Texas, United States. ... The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. ...

In many areas, caliche is also used for road construction, either as a surfacing material or, more commonly, as a base material. It is one of the most common road materials used in southern Africa. Caliche is widely used as a base material because it continues to accumulate and gain strength over time. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

Sugar refining

A nearly pure source of calcium carbonate is necessary to refine sugar. It must contain at least 95 % calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and have a low magnesium content. In addition, the material must meet certain physical requirements so it does not break down when burned. Although caliche does not generally meet all of the requirements for sugar refining, it is used in areas where another source of calcium carbonate, such as limestone, is not present. While the use of caliche necessitates beneficiation in order to meet the requirements, its use can still be significantly cheaper than shipping in the needed limestone. This article is about sugar as food and as an important and widely-traded commodity. ... Beneficiation is a variety of processes whereby extracted ore from mining is reduced to particles that can be separated into mineral and waste, the former suitable for further processing or direct use. ...

Chilean caliche

In Chile, the nitrate salt deposits in the Atacama Desert are also referred to as caliche. These deposits are the largest known natural source of nitrates in the world, containing up to 25 % sodium nitrate and 3 % potassium nitrate, as well as [iodate minerals], sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, and sodium borate (borax). The caliche beds are from 0.2 to 5 meters thick, and they are mined and refined to produce a variety of products, including sodium nitrate (for agriculture or industry uses), potassium nitrate, potassium sodium nitrate, sodium sulfate, iodine, and iodine derivatives. Made of Porn and sex things Inhalation respiratory irritation Skin May cause irritation. ... R-phrases   S-phrases   Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... R-phrases 36 S-phrases none Flash point Non-flammable Related Compounds Other anions NaF, NaBr, NaI Other cations LiCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, CaCl2 Related salts Sodium acetate Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... Sodium sulfate is an important compound of sodium. ... Borax, (Na2B4O7·10H2O, sodium borate or sodium tetraborate) is an important boron compound. ... For other uses, see Iodine (disambiguation). ...

Caliche and Gardening

Problems caliche cause

Caliche beds can cause many problems when trying to grow plants. First, an impermeable caliche layer prevents water from draining properly, which can keep the roots from getting enough oxygen. Salts can also build up in the soil due to the lack of drainage. Both of these situations are detrimental to plant growth. Second, the impermeable nature of caliche beds also prevents plant roots from going through the bed, which means the roots have a limited supply of nutrients, water, and space, so they cannot develop normally. Third, caliche beds can also cause the surrounding soil to be basic (have a high pH). The basic soil, along with calcium carbonate from the caliche, can prevent plants from getting enough nutrients, especially iron. An iron deficiency will cause the plant’s youngest leaves to become yellow. Soil saturation above the caliche bed can make the condition worse. For other uses, see PH (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ... Iron (Fe) deficiency is a plant disorder also known as ‘lime-induced chlorosis’. A deficiency in the soil is rare. ... Soil composition Water content or moisture content is the quantity of water contained in a material, such as soil (called soil moisture), rock, ceramics, or wood on a volumetric or gravimetric basis. ...

Fixing these problems

The best solution to these problems is to remove the layer of caliche and replace it with a mixture of organic material and soil. The hole should be large enough to contain the plant’s mature root system and should go entirely through the caliche layer. However, when the caliche layer is thick, dig a hole large enough for the mature root system. Then, a smaller hole or holes can be dug through the remaining caliche to provide drainage. To test drainage, the hole should be filled with water. If the level drops by 1 inch per hour, the drainage is sufficient.

Caliche can be somewhat broken up by allowing beneficial weeds -- which tend to have stronger, deeper roots than garden plants (ergo their weed status) -- to grow in the garden as companion plants. They can force enough separation of the soil to allow other plants a better chance to breath, obtain nutrition, and have proper water circulation. Beneficial weeds are various plants not necessarily considered domesticated, but which nonetheless have some companion plant effect, or else are edible, including a great many wildflowers, but also including many weeds which people are wont to generically kill or poison, without realizing the benefit of that plant. ... Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is planting of different crops in close physical proximity. ...

References

• Breazeale, J.F. and H.V. Smith. Caliche in Arizona. University of Arizona: Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 131 (15 April 1930): 419-441.
• Price, William Armstrong. Reynosa Problem of Southern Texas, and Origin of Caliche. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 17.5 (1933): 488-522.
• Reeves, C.C., Jr. Caliche: Origin, Classification, Morphology and Uses. Lubbock, Texas: Estacado Books, 1976.
• Reeves, C.C., Jr. and J.D. Suggs. Caliche of Central and Southern Llano Estacado, Texas: Notes. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 34.3 (1964): 669-672.

External links

• Conquering Home Yard Caliche