Carbonate status of modern and paleo chernozems of the Sunzha (Chechen) Depression, Northern Caucasus

The carbonate status of modern and paleochernozems of the Sunzha (Chechen) Depression in the Northern Caucasus has been investigated. Along with tradi tional determinations of the depth of effervescence and the morphology of c arbonate concentrations, we have studied their composition and structure at different levels of the soil mass organization. Thus, we have obtained a c omplete set of parameters characterizing the carbonate status of soils. The se parameters have been interpreted in terms of climatic conditions of prec ipitation-dissolution of carbonates in the soils. As a result, we have reve aled not only the major pattern of climatic fluctuations, but also some min or peculiarities of changes in soil water and temperature regimes within th e studied territory for the second half of the Holocene.