Elsevier, CATENA, 1(87), p. 147-156, 2011
DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2011.05.018
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A calcrete profile developed on the top of a calcareous consolidated dune located in a coastal area of NE Tunisia (semi-arid climate) was studied with the aim to investigate the behavior of the chemical elements (rare earth elements—REE—and other trace and major elements) during the processes associated with calcrete formation, particularly dissolution and precipitation of carbonates in the vadose zone. The profile shows a vertical sequence, with clear zonations from the surface downwards: a reddish soil at the land surface, a nodular horizon, a laminar-structured level, and the consolidated old dune. Chemical and mineralogical analyses of samples from all levels were performed by neutron activation analysis and X-ray diffraction (bulk samples and