Desert soils downwind of the Rosh Pinah tailings
Karas, Rosh Pinah (Namib Desert), Namibia
Soils
- Type
- Soil
Three Arenosol profiles 0.1, 1 and 1.5 km north-west of the dam, downwind of the prevailing winds (65 mm rain per year, potential evaporation of 2800 mm): up to 7 mg/kg Tl at the surface, 70 to 95 % bound to sulphides and silicates, below 2 % mobilisable. ε205Tl from +1 to +3.8 in the top 30 cm, input of fine tailings particles (+3.6 for the fraction below 0.05 mm), decreasing with depth. Profile P3 taken as a weakly contaminated reference. Published GPS coordinates of profile P1 (P2: 27.96794° S, 16.76569° E; P3: 27.96367° S, 16.76319° E) (Grösslová et al., 2018).
ε205Tl in ε units (parts per 10,000) Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 997
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.33 ± 1.06 ε | 1.26 / 3.37 ε | 3 | surface soil of profile P1 (0 to 30 cm, A and A/C horizons) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 3 analyses, 0.1 km from the dam; 7.2 to 0.9 mg/kg Tl, ε205Tl decreasing with depth. ± 0.7 ε (2 SD) on each value. | Grösslová et al. (2018), Thallium contamination of desert soil in Namibia: Chemical, mine… |
| −0.38 ± 0.7 ε | 1 | C2 horizon of profile P1 (110 to 130 cm) Single analysis; 0.7 mg/kg Tl; geogenic Tl, the only negative value of the study; the supplement (Table S3) gives 100 to 130 cm for this layer, Table 1 of the paper 110 to 130 cm. | Grösslová et al. (2018), Thallium contamination of desert soil in Namibia: Chemical, mine… | |
| 2.43 ± 1.05 ε | 1 / 3.78 ε | 5 | surface soil of profile P2 (4 to 30 cm, O/A to C horizons) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 5 analyses, 1 km from the dam; 7.6 to 1.2 mg/kg Tl. ± 0.7 ε (2 SD) on each value. | Grösslová et al. (2018), Thallium contamination of desert soil in Namibia: Chemical, mine… |
| 0.8 ± 0.7 ε | 1 | C horizon of profile P2 (80 to 90 cm) Single analysis; 0.7 mg/kg Tl. | Grösslová et al. (2018), Thallium contamination of desert soil in Namibia: Chemical, mine… | |
| 1.56 ± 0.7 ε | 1 | A horizon of profile P3 (0 to 5 cm) Single analysis; 1.5 km from the dam; 0.9 mg/kg Tl, low anthropogenic input. | Grösslová et al. (2018), Thallium contamination of desert soil in Namibia: Chemical, mine… | |
| 2.33 ± 0.7 ε | 1 | C horizon of profile P3 (70 to 80 cm) Single analysis; 0.5 mg/kg Tl; horizon given as the uncontaminated reference, yet heavier than the P1 and P2 C horizons. | Grösslová et al. (2018), Thallium contamination of desert soil in Namibia: Chemical, mine… |
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- Barro Alto ultramafic soils Brazil
- Technosols on Allchar mine waste rock North Macedonia
- Merces Quarry laterite profile (Goa) India
- Riou Mort basin soils around the Viviez plant France
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Desert soils downwind of the Rosh Pinah tailings, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/sols-desertiques-sous-le-vent-des-residus-de-rosh-pinah/ (accessed 2026-10-15).
@misc{isofind2026desertsoilsdownwindoftheroshp,
title = {Desert soils downwind of the Rosh Pinah tailings, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/sols-desertiques-sous-le-vent-des-residus-de-rosh-pinah/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15}
}Updated : 2026-10-15