The role of mineralogy,geochemistry and grain size in badland development in Pisticci (Basilicata,southern Italy)

Mineralogical, geochemical and grain‐size composition of soil and pore‐water chemistry parameters were characterized on both eroded (south‐facing) and non‐eroded (north‐facing) clayey‐silt slopes in the Basilicata region (southern Italy). Only a few grain‐size parameters and clay mineralogy discriminate eroded from non‐eroded substrates. Compared with the latter, the former have fractions of over 63 µm and 1–4 µm lower and fractions 4–63 µm higher. Grain‐size characters of crusts did not discriminate with respect to substrate. Bulk rock mineralogy was not distinctive, but the clay mineral assemblage shows that the eroded slope is enriched in kaolinite, mixed layers (illite–smectite) and chlorite, whereas illite decreases, although overlaps are common. Chemical data enable discrimination between eroded and non‐eroded slopes. pH, SAR (sodium adsorption ratio), TDS (total dissolved salts) and PS (percentage of sodium) are distinctive parameters for both eroded and non‐eroded slopes. TDS increases in depth in the non‐eroded slope, whereas the maximum TDS is just below the crust in the eroded one. On average, eroded substrates are higher in pH, SAR and PS than non‐eroded ones. The ESP (exchangeable sodium percentage) of the eroded slope has a higher value than the non‐eroded one. Crusts are less dispersive than eroded substrates, and non‐eroded substrates behave as crusts. This suggests that the portion of the slope most severely exposed to weathering tends to stabilize, due to strong decreases in SAR, PS and ESP. Several diagrams reported in the literature show similarly anomalous crust samples on eroded slopes, compared with other samples coming from greater depths on eroded slopes. In the present case study, the exchangeable form of Na characterizes crusts more than the soluble form. This study describes the erosional mechanism, which involves morphological and geographic exposure and climatic elements, as well as grain size, mineralogy, chemistry and exchangeable processes of soils. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The dali ash,island of rhodes,greece: a problem in interpreting submarine volcanigenic sediments

In the southern part of Rhodes, Greece, rhyolitic subaqueous pyroclastic deposits are interbedded with Tertiary, deep water, marine sediments. The lowermost and best exposed of these deposits — the Dali Ash — is described here. The deposit has been previously described as a deep water welded subaqueous ignimbrite. This paper shows that there is no evidence of welding, and texture previously reported were misidentified. The Dali Ash consists of a lower massive unit (5 m thick), overlain by a sequence of ash-turbidites (2.5 m thick). The lower unit was deposited by a high concentration turbidity current and the ash-turbidites by dilute turbidity currents. Foraminifera are dispersed throughout the deposit and indicate that all the sedimentary gravity flows were cold water/particulate systems. A palaeomagnetic study also suggests they were deposited cold. The Dali Ash can be interpreted as the lateral equivalent of a subaerial pumiceous pyroclastic flow deposit (ignimbrite). The ash-turbidites then may be redeposited slumps off the submarine slope of the lower massive unit, or, may represent later, smaller pyroclastic flows in the eruption. Other alternatives for the origin of the Dali Ash are fully discussed to show the problems in interpreting submarine volcanigenic sediments. It is possible that the deposits are not even a primary eruptive product and are remobilized pyroclastic debris, slumped, for example, off the sides of a shallow marine rhyolitic tuff ring.     

Landscape controls on long‐term runoff in subhumid heterogeneous Boreal Plains catchments

We compared median runoff (R) and precipitation (P) relationships over 25 years from 20 mesoscale (50 to 5,000 km²) catchments on the Boreal Plains, Alberta, Canada, to understand controls on water sink and source dynamics in water‐limited, low‐relief northern environments. Long‐term catchment R and runoff efficiency (RP^?1) were low and varied spatially by over an order of magnitude (3 to 119 mm/year, 1 to 27%). Intercatchment differences were not associated with small variations in climate. The partitioning of P into evapotranspiration (ET) and R instead reflected the interplay between underlying glacial deposit texture, overlying soil‐vegetation land cover, and regional slope. Correlation and principal component analyses results show that peatland‐swamp wetlands were the major source areas of water. The lowest estimates of median annual catchment ET (321 to 395 mm) and greatest R (60 to 119 mm, 13 to 27% of P) were observed in low‐relief, peatland‐swamp dominated catchments, within both fine‐textured clay‐plain and coarse‐textured glacial deposits. In contrast, open‐water wetlands and deciduous‐mixedwood forest land covers acted as water sinks, and less catchment R was observed with increases in proportional coverage of these land covers. In catchments dominated by hummocky moraines, long‐term runoff was restricted to 10 mm/year, or 2% of P. This reflects the poor surface‐drainage networks and slightly greater regional slope of the fine‐textured glacial deposit, coupled with the large soil‐water and depression storage and higher actual ET of associated shallow open‐water marsh wetland and deciduous‐forest land covers. This intercatchment study enhances current conceptual frameworks for predicting water yield in the Boreal Plains based on the sink and source functions of glacial landforms and soil‐vegetation land covers. It offers the capability within this hydro‐geoclimatic region to design reclaimed catchments with desired hydrological functionality and associated tolerances to climate or land‐use changes and inform land management decisions based on effective catchment‐scale conceptual understanding.     

The old alluvium of Singapore and the extinct drainage system to the South China Sea

In both sand quarry faces and boreholes the Old Alluvium of Singapore is a matrix supported pebbly sand with minor beds of better sorted sands and clays. The beds can be grouped into four textural classes (pebbles, coarse sand with fine pebbles, medium to coarse sand, clay, and silt), each with characteristic sedimentary structures. The deposit appears to be the proximal facies of an ancient braided river alluvium of possible Pleistocene age. This widespread but scattered alluvium is found both on land and offshore on the Sunda Shelf in Southeast Asia. It is believed to have been deposited during low sea levels. In Singapore, the mineralogy of the grains forming the Old Alluvium suggests a mixed provenance of granitic and low-grade metamorphic origin. The volume and freshness of the deposited material indicate an environment of considerable relief, seasonal rainfall, and extremely active erosional processes, conditions considerably different from the current ones. The Old Alluvium was probably deposited by seasonal rivers which experienced periodic large floods. Such regional conditions could have prevailed over much of Southeast Asia at the time of deposition of the Old Alluvium.     

Distribution of clay minerals in marine sediments off Chennai,Bay of Bengal,India： Indicators of sediment sources and transport processes

Clay mineralogy, texture size and statistical analyses were carried out on surface sediments from the continental shelf of Chennai, Bay of Bengal, India. The purpose of this study is to characterize the clay mineral distribution and its relation to the hydrodynamics off Chennai to identify the sources and transport pathways of the marine sediments. Characterization of clay minerals in coastal sediments by Fourier Transform Infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy has provided the association of quartz, feldspar, kaolinite, chlorite, illite and iron oxides （magnetite and hematite） derived from river catchments and coastal erosion. Kaolinite, chlorite, illite, iron oxides, and organic matter are the dominant minerals in Cooum, and Adayar region. High quartz and feldspar zones were identified in Marina, which are being confined the sand zone and paralleling the coast. The strong relationships among the wave energy density, sand, quartz and carbonate revealed that wave induced littoral drift system play a dominant role in transportation and deposition of sediments in the Chennai coast. The sediment texture and minerals data are in agreement well with the previous results of hydrodynamics and littoral drift models in this region. Multivariate statistical analyses （correlation, cluster and factor analyses） were carried out and obtained results suggested that clay minerals and organic matter are trapped in silt and clay particles, whereas quartz, feldspar and carbonate are associated with sand particles. Results of sediment sources and transport processes from this study will be useful to predict the fate of the pollutants released from land or the potential change in sediment delivery to coastal areas.     

Pedogenic zones in postglacial sediment of lake manitoba,Canada

The postglacial sediment record of Lake Manitoba is composed dominantly of silty clay to clayey silt with little variation in most physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Distinct in the sedimentary sequence of this large lake, however, are four zones that have a low moisture content, blocky to pelletal structure, and gleyed colour. All of these zones formed during the warmest and driest postglacial period in the region, 9500 to 4500 years ago. Although several possible hypotheses can be formulated regarding the origin of these zones including changes in sedimentation rate, clay mineralogy, lake chemistry, and depth of winter freezing, the most likely explanation is that they represent pedogenic horizons. Formation by pedogenesis during dry or extremely low water conditions is not mutually exclusive of the other hypotheses, and several are favoured by low water conditions.     

Estimating flow resistance in steep slope rills

Recent research recognized that the slope of 18% can be used to distinguish between the ‘gentle slope’ case and that of ‘steep slope’ for the detected differences in hydraulic variables (flow depth, velocity, Reynolds number, Froude number) and those representatives of sediment transport (flow transport capacity, actual sediment load). In this paper, using previous measurements carried out in mobile bed rills and flume experiments characterized by steep slopes (i.e., slope greater than or equal to 18%), a theoretical rill flow resistance equation to estimate the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor is tested. The main aim is to deduce a relationship between the velocity profile parameter Γ, the channel slope, the Reynolds number, the Froude number and the textural classes using a data base characterized by a wide range of hydraulic conditions, plot or flume slope (18%–84%) and textural classes (clay ranging from 3% to 71%). The obtained relationship is also tested using 47 experimental runs carried out in the present investigation with mobile bed rills incised in a 18%—sloping plot with a clay loam soil and literature data. The analysis demonstrated that: (1) the soil texture affects the estimate of the Γ parameter and the theoretical flow resistance law (Equation 25), (2) the proposed Equation (25) fits well the independent measurements of the testing data base, (3) the estimate of the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor is affected by the soil particle detachability and transportability and (4) the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor is linearly related to the rill slope.     

洪湖及其周围三种湖相粘土的微结构特征与沉积环境

在江汉平原濒临长江北岸的洪湖及其周围的土壤中,分别取得沉积物柱状钻孔样品和土壤剖面样品,用偏光显微镜和电子显微镜观察了2.5kaBP以来形成的三种湖相粘土的微结构特征,并以此解释的其成因和沉积环境。0.9-2.5kaBP期间形成的青色粘土的典型微结构有：凝胶结构、细颗粒粒径和小孔隙、矿物颗粒低圆度和淡水中心冈硅藻等生物框架结构,主要是有机质胶体与粘土胶体相互作用形成的,此期间,河流带入湖泊的泥沙少,洪湖拥有一个开阔、稳定、浮游生物较多的淡水湖泊环境。0.45-1kaBP期间形成的黑色粘土的主要微结构类型有;凝胶结构、大的圆孔隙和植物纤维等生物框架结构,呈双峰分布的孔隙,它主要是由于维管束植物残体大量积累形成的,当时洪湖湖水变浅,大量挺水植物生长,湖泊已经沼泽化了。0.45kaBP以来形成的灰色粘土的微结构类型主要有：絮凝结构、较大的微孔隙和颗粒粒径、矿物颗粒较高的圆度等,物源主要来自河流带来的泥沙,当时河湖相通,河流入湖水沙量大。     

How does water near clay mineral surfaces influence the rock physics of shales?

Clays and clay‐bearing rocks like shale are extremely water sensitive. This is partly due to the interaction between water and mineral surfaces, strengthened by the presence of nanometer‐size pores and related large specific surface areas. Molecular‐scale numerical simulations, using a discrete‐element model, show that shear rigidity can be associated with structurally ordered (bound or adsorbed) water near charged surfaces. Building on these and other molecular dynamics simulations plus nanoscale experiments from the literature, the water monolayer adjacent to hydrophilic solid surfaces appears to be characterised by shear stiffness and/or enhanced viscosity. In both cases, elastic wave propagation will be affected by the bound or adsorbed water. Using a simple rock physics model, bound water properties were adjusted to match laboratory measured P‐ and S‐wave velocities on pure water‐saturated kaolinite and smectite. To fit the measured stress sensitivity, particularly for kaolinite, the contribution from solid‐grain contact stiffness needs to be added. The model predicts, particularly for S‐waves, that viscoelastic bound water could be a source of dispersion in clay and clay‐rich rocks. The bound‐water‐based rock physics model is found to represent a lower bound to laboratory‐measured velocities obtained with shales of different mineralogy and porosity levels.     

Electromagnetic induction for mapping textural contrasts of mine tailing deposits

Mine tailings present an important legacy of past and present ore-extraction activities in the Desert Southwest. Inactive mine tailings have no immediate economic role in current mining operations, yet from an environmental point of view it is important that such deposits are stabilized to prevent mass movement, wind or water erosion, leaching of chemicals such as acid mine drainage, and to reduce visual blight. In the presented study, we assess the potential for inferring textural properties of mine tailing deposits with electromagnetic induction (EMI) mapping as a means of informing efforts to establish vegetation at mine waste sites. EMI measurements of apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a) and tailing samples were collected at a mine waste site in Southern Arizona, USA and used to test empirical and theoretical relationships between EC_a and physical and mineralogical properties using linear and Gaussian process regression. Sensitivity analyses of a semi-theoretical and a regression model of EC_a as a function of tailing properties indicated that volumetric clay fraction in the top 60 cm was a primary influence on bulk electrical conductivity along with water content, conductivity of the soil water and the presence of conductive minerals hematite and pyrite. At this site, latitude and longitude were better predictors of clay content than EC_a, and while it was possible to obtain information about the spatial distribution of tailing texture using EMI, simple Kriging of texture data was a more powerful textural mapping technique. We conclude that EMI is a useful tool for mapping tailing texture at waste deposit sites, but due to physical and chemical heterogeneity of tailing deposits, it is necessary to collect more in situ samples than are needed for agricultural applications.     

Characterization of distal turbidites in marine sedimentary sequences using magnetic mineral data and factor analysis of microfossils assemblages

Results of a study of turbiditic deposits in a sequence of middle to late Holocene marine sediments from Alfonso Basin in the southern Gulf of California are presented. Turbidites are identified from analyses of core sections, X-ray images, texture and granulometry. Characterization of distal turbidites could be difficult, particularly for thin fine-grained deposits with little contrast in grain size, mineralogy and texture. We have here included analyses of microfossil and magnetic mineral data. Turbiditic currents transport material from various depths in the continental slope into the basin and it can be expected that turbiditic deposits are characterized by re-worked material, lack of microfossils or mixed assemblages with no content of paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic record. This may show in lack of internal coherence as quantified by factor analysis of microfossil assemblages. Turbidites in some cases may also show distinct magnetic properties as compared with those in the sediment sequence. In Alfonso Basin, turbidites show increased contents of detrital magnetic minerals volcanic-derived and transported from the basin slope. We identify twelve turbiditic layers through the sequence that present high magnetic susceptibility and low communalities from factor model to the microfossils data providing characterization of the turbidites.     

Frequency dependent electric properties of homogeneous multi-phase lossy media in the ground-penetrating radar frequency range

The electric properties of multiphase aggregate mixtures are evaluated for a given mineralogic composition at frequencies between 300 kHz and 3 GHz. Two measurement techniques are employed: a coaxial transmission line and a monostatic stepped-frequency ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The effect of increasing water content is analyzed in several sand clay mixtures. For the end-member case of maximum clay (25% in weight) and increasing water content, investigations are compared between the two measurement techniques. The electrical properties of materials are influenced by the amount of water, but clay affects the frequency dependency of soils showing distinctive features regardless of the mineralogy. The microwave attenuation, expressed by the quality factor Q, is partly dependent on frequency and on the water content. The performance of one empirical and one volumetric mixing model is evaluated to assess the capability of indirectly retrieving the volumetric water content for a known mixture. The results are encouraging for applications in the field of pavement engineering with the aim of clay detection. The models used show similar behaviors, but measured data are better modeled using third order polynomial equations.     

Tectonic and climatic control of the changes in the sedimentary record of the Karnali River section (Siwaliks of western Nepal)

Abstract A multidisciplinary study was conducted on the section of the Siwalik Group sediments, approximately 5000 m thick, exposed along the Karnali River. Analysis of facies, clay mineralogy and neodymium isotope compositions revealed significant changes in the sedimentary record, allowing discussion of their tectonic or climatic origin. Two major changes within the sedimentary fill were detected: the change from a meandering to a braided river system at ca 9.5 Ma and the change from a deep sandy braided to a shallow sandy braided river system at ca 6.5 Ma. The 9.5‐Ma change in fluvial style is contemporaneous with an abrupt increase of ?_Nd(0) values following a ?_Nd(0) minimum. This evolution indicates a change in source material and erosion of Lesser Himalayan rocks within the Karnali catchment basin between 13 and 10 Ma. The tectonic activity along the Ramgarh thrust caused this local exhumation. By changing the proximity and morphology of relief, the forward propagation of the basal detachment to the main boundary thrust was responsible for the high gradient and sediment load required for the development of the braided river system. The change from a deep sandy braided to a shallow sandy braided river system at approximately 6.5 Ma was contemporaneous with a change in clay mineralogy towards smectite‐/kaolinite‐dominant assemblages. As no source rock change and no burial effect are detected at that time, the change in clay mineralogy is interpreted as resulting from differences in environmental conditions. The facies analysis shows abruptly and frequently increasing discharges by 6.5 Ma, and could be linked to an increase in seasonality, induced by intensification of the monsoon climate. The major fluvial changes deciphered along the Karnali section have been recognized from central to western Nepal, although they are diachronous. The change in clay mineralogy towards smectite‐/kaolinite‐rich assemblages and the slight decrease of ?_Nd(0) have also been detected in the Bengal Fan sedimentary record, showing the extent and importance of the two major events recorded along the Karnali section.     

Fine-sediment mineralogy of source rocks and suspended sediment,rother catchment,West Sussex

The clay and silt mineralogy of the Cretaceous bedrocks of the Rother drainage basin is restricted to seven minerals. The mineralogy of soils and alluvium is similar to the bedrock upon which they are developed although minor variations can be found. The mineralogy of bedrock, soils and alluvium is reflected to some extent in the suspended sediment of rivers draining over them, and three different mineral assemblage zones are identified. Subtle controls of mineralogical variation in suspended sediment may include the ratio of groundwater/surface runoff contribution to river flow, rate of reaction of soil and bedrock to precipitation, preferential settling of non-platy grains in quieter stretches of water, and the precipitation of material from solution as waters equilibriate with the atmosphere.     

A Tracer Test for Detecting Cross Contamination Along a Monitoring Well Column

A tracer test was used to evaluate whether cross contamination exists along a monitoring well completed through a shallow ground water system in fractured clay and screened in a sand and gravel aquifer. The fractured clay is separated from the sand and gravel deposit by a layer of highly plastic unfractured clay. A natural vertical downward hydraulic gradient of approximately 0.5 exists between the shallow system and the sand and gravel aquifer. Ground water contamination was detected in an adjacent monitoring well screened in the fractured clay and in the monitoring well screened in the sand and gravel deposit. No ground water contamination was apparent in an intermediate well screened in the unfractured clay layer. A tracer of sodium bromide was injected into a shallow boring near the monitoring wells. The tracer was detected in the monitoring well in the sand and gravel aquifer after three to seven days. The bromide concentration continued to increase in this well with time while the concentration in the shallow boring declined. This trend of tracer concentration indicates the tracer has in fact migrated downward and possibly traveled along the well column.     

STUDY ON DYNAMIC RESPONSE AND INSTABILITY OF SOIL-ROCK MIXTURE DEPOSIT WITH DIFFERENT STONE CONTENTS AND SLOPE GRADIENTS

Soil-rock mixture deposit is an extremely heterogeneous loose rock-soil deposit formed since Quaternary, which is composed of blocks, fine-grained soil and pore with a certain engineering scale and high strength and has a certain stone content. These soil-rock mixtures accumulated on slopes have been completely destroyed and their mechanical strength is very low. They are widely distributed in the mountainous areas of Southwest China, which poses a great threat to the engineering. Earthquakes occur frequently in Southwest China, and the instability of soil-rock mixture deposit under seismic load is one of the important factors causing the damage to this type of deposit. The dynamic response of soil-rock mixture deposit under seismic load is an important index to study its instability mechanism under seismic load. Based on indoor shaking table model test, the influence of rock content and slope gradient on dynamic response characteristics of soil-rock mixture deposit was studied. In model tests, rock content is 30%, 40% and 50%respectively, and slope gradient varies from 20°, 30° and 40°. Two different seismic loading frequencies and three different excitation strengths were given. The peak acceleration(PGA)amplification coefficients in horizontal and vertical directions of soil-rock mixture deposit were analyzed under the change of rock content and slope gradient. The permanent displacement and deformation law of the top and foot of the slope of soil-rock mixture deposit were analyzed by model test. The experimental results show that the dynamic acceleration response characteristics of the soil-rock mixture deposits at the top and foot of the slope are different under different slope gradients and rock content conditions, and the horizontal PGA amplification coefficients of the soil-rock mixture deposits are also different. With the same seismic frequency and excitation intensity, the horizontal PGA amplification coefficient increases with increased slope gradient, and the rate gets faster. With the increase of stone content, the magnification coefficient of horizontal PGA decreases, and the higher the stone content, the slower the decrease rate of horizontal PGA magnification coefficient. When the slope gradient of soil-rock mixture deposit increases, the corresponding horizontal and vertical PGA amplification coefficients increase with the same seismic frequency and excitation intensity. The amplification coefficients of PGA in the vertical direction are different, but the overall magnification is weaker than that in the horizontal direction. The vertical PGA amplification coefficients of the foot, middle and lower parts of the slope are larger, while the vertical PGA amplification coefficients of the upper and middle parts of the slope tend to decrease. The higher the frequency of seismic wave is, the smaller the vertical PGA amplification coefficient corresponding to the same elevation will be, which indicates that the vertical PGA amplification coefficient is negatively correlated with the elevation. The variation trend of PGA magnification coefficient of soil-rock mixed deposit in vertical direction is different with the change of stone content. Under the same excitation intensity, the larger the slope gradient is, the larger the permanent displacement at the top of the slope will be, and the larger the rock content, the smaller the corresponding displacement at the top of the slope. The permanent displacement of the top of the slope is obviously larger than that of the foot of the slope, which indicates that the magnification effect of the top of the slope is obvious. After the vibration process and sliding of the landslide, the large-sized particles in the soil-rock mixture deposit move downward faster and slip on the surface of the deposit body. There was a very obvious phenomenon of particle sorting in the pile-up at the foot of the landslide body. The results of this study are of practical significance for the analysis of the dynamic response law of soil-rock mixture deposit under seismic load due to the change of rock content and slope gradient.     

Upper Eocene ejecta of the New Jersey continental margin reveal dynamics of Chesapeake Bay impact

Evidence for the Chesapeake Bay Crater as the source for New Jersey continental margin ejecta is provided by fine-grained tektites and coarse-grained unmelted ejecta. The Upper Eocene ejecta deposit, now demonstrated to be part of the North American strewn field, occurs on the New Jersey continental margin at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 904 and 903. The mineralogy, major oxide composition of the ejecta materials, and biostratigraphic age of the enclosing sediments link the origin of these ejecta to the recently recognized Chesapeake Bay impact crater, located only 330 km away. Sediments associated with the ejecta provide information about the dynamics of impact events. The 35-cm-thick ejecta-bearing layer can be subdivided into three subunits that indicate a sequence of events. Bottom subunit III documents sediment failure and deposition of gravel-sized fragments, middle subunit II records deposition of abundant sand-sized ejecta by gravity settling, and upper subunit I contains a 12-cm-thick sedimentary deposit containing rare silt-sized tektites and evidence of waning currents. These events are interpreted by linking sediment deposition to seismic ground motion and subsequent tsunami waves triggered by both the Chesapeake Bay impact and slope failures.     

Wood textures in Jinman copper deposit in western Yunnan and their genetic implications

Jinman vein copper deposit in western Yunnan occurs in a salt-bearing red clastic rock formation composed of sandstone, siltstone and shale. Wood texture is considerably developed in the ores. The metallic minerals making up the wood textures mainly include pyrite, chalcopyrite and bornite. Studies on the samples and examination of their micrographs and electron micrographs have confirmed that they belong to xenoxylon, reflecting that the ore-hosting rock series is the product of sedimentation in the terrestrial environment. Organic geochemistry and sulfur and carbon isotopic composition data indicate that the formation of the deposit is substantially related with underground hot brines and biological processes.     

Differences in preferential flow with antecedent moisture conditions and soil texture: Implications for subsurface P transport

Preferential flowpaths transport phosphorus (P) to agricultural tile drains. However, if and to what extent this may vary with soil texture, moisture conditions, and P placement is poorly understood. This study investigated (a) interactions between soil texture, antecedent moisture conditions, and the relative contributions of matrix and preferential flow and (b) associated P distributions through the soil profile when fertilizers were applied to the surface or subsurface. Brilliant blue dye was used to stain subsurface flowpaths in clay and silt loam plots during simulated rainfall events under wet and dry conditions. Fertilizer P was applied to the surface or via subsurface placement to plots of different soil texture and moisture condition. Photographs of dye stains were analysed to classify the flow patterns as matrix dominated or macropore dominated, and soils within plots were analysed for their water‐extractable P (WEP) content. Preferential flow occurred under all soil texture and moisture conditions. Dye penetrated deeper into clay soils via macropores and had lower interaction with the soil matrix, compared with silt loam soil. Moisture conditions influenced preferential flowpaths in clay, with dry clay having deeper infiltration (92 ± 7.6 cm) and less dye–matrix interaction than wet clay (77 ± 4.7 cm). Depth of staining did not differ between wet (56 ± 7.2 cm) and dry (50 ± 6.6 cm) silt loam, nor did dominant flowpaths. WEP distribution in the top 10 cm of the soil profile differed with fertilizer placement, but no differences in soil WEP were observed at depth. These results demonstrate that large rainfall events following drought conditions in clay soil may be prone to rapid P transport to tile drains due to increased preferential flow, whereas flow in silt loams is less affected by antecedent moisture. Subsurface placement of fertilizer may minimize the risk of subsurface P transport, particularily in clay.