Chuxia Lin;Richard T Bush;David McConchi

pyrite oxidation;acidification;drained;pre;soluble;acid sulfate soil

Recent research results suggest that acidification of acid sulfate soils may be inhibited in well-drained estuarine floodplains in eastern Australia by the absence of natural creek levees,The lack of natural levees has allowed the inuudation of the land by regular tidal flooding prior to the construction of flood mitigation work.Such physiographical conditions prevent the development of pre-draingae pyrite-derived soil acidifica-tion that possibly occurred at many levee-protected sites in eastern Australian estuarine floodplains during extremely dry spells.Pre-drainage acidification is considered as an important condition for accumulation of soluble Fe and consequently,the creation of favourable environments for catalysed pyrite oxidation.Under current intensively drained onditions,the acid materials produced by ongoing pyrite oxidation can be rapidly removed from soil pore water by lateral leaching and acid buffering,resulting in low concentrations of soluble Fe in the pyritic layer,which could reduce the rate of pyrite oxidation.