Using pedostratigraphic levels and a GIS to generate three-dimensional maps of the Quaternary soil cover and reconstruct the geomorphological development of the Montagnola Senese (central Italy)

Pedostratigraphic levels (PLs) are characteristic assemblages of soil genetic horizons, formed in materials having a similar degree of weathering, and maximum age that is estimated by correlation to benchmark soils. In a pilot area of central Tuscany several soil profiles were studied and correlated with four different PLs, attributed to the Holocene, Late and Middle Pleistocene, and Early Pleistocene.The assignment of the surveyed depth made it possible to reproduce the geographic distribution of different pedostratigraphic sequences. Pedostratigraphic sequences were then related to soil map units, to obtain their geographical distribution.The objective of this work was to use PLs in a GIS environment to generate a set of three-dimensional (3D) maps of the Quaternary soil cover, and to analyze the spatial distribution of each level during main intervals of the Quaternary. The results indicate the geographical distribution of PLs is likely related to tectonic activity throughout Pleistocene and human utilization of the land during the Holocene.