Which process primarily determines the clay mineralogy within the soil profile formed on an oxbow lake deposit?

💡 Explanation

When organic matter from plant litter and decaying organisms accumulates in the oxbow lake sediments, biochemical weathering driven by organic acids released during decomposition creates conditions favoring transformation of primary minerals into secondary clay minerals. Thus, the final clay mineral composition reflects this process, rather than just flood deposits, hydrodynamic sorting, or cation exchange alone.

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