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SW78

Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Vertic, Eutrophic, Black CHROMOSOLGeneral Landscape Description: Gently undulating rises
Site Description: Flat to gently inclined plainGeology: Mapped as Tertiary-Gellibrand Marl

South West Gasp Pipeline GP78 Landscape
SW78 Landscape


Soil Profile Morphology:


Surface Soil


A10-10 cmVery dark greyish brown (10YR3/2 moist), light brownish grey (10YR6/2 dry); fine sandy loam; moderately pedal; pH 5.2; clear change to:
South West Gasp Pipeline GP78 Profile
SW78 Profile - Note: Surface (A1) horizon has been stripped from the soil profile
A2e10-50 cmLight brownish grey (10YR6/2 moist), conspicuously bleached (10YR8/1 dry); light fine sandy clay loam; rusty mottles; minor fine gravel and buckshot gravel; apedal; massive; weak consistence; pH 5.8; sharp and slightly wavy change to:
Subsoil

B21t50-80 cmBlack (10YR2/1 moist) with fine, distinct, yellowish brown and red mottles; heavy clay; few, very coarse (>300 mm) prismatic and columnar, parting to coarse prismatic and medium angular blocky (~20 mm) structure; deep vertical [cracks to full depth of trench (>1.7 m)]; pH 6.4 gradual change to:
B22ss80-110 cmVery dark greyish brown (2.5Y3/2 moist); heavy clay; coarse lenticular structure; slickensides; pH 6.7; diffuse change to:
B23110 cm+Brown (10YR4/3 moist); distinct, yellowish brown (10YR5/6-5/8 moist) and dark red mottles becoming dominant and prominent at depth; minor (<0.2%), fine, rounded buckshot gravel; pH 6.7.

Key Profile Features:
  • Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

pH
Salinity Rating
Sodicity
Dispersion
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Strongly Acid
Low
Non-Sodic
None
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Slightly Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None1
Deeper subsoil
(at 80-130 cm)
Slightly Acid
Low
Non-Sodic
None
1 strong dispersion after remoulding

South West Gasp Pipeline GP78 Graphs
Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC
1:5
NaCl
%
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A1
0-10
5.2
4.6
0.14
3.6
1.1
0.26
0.29
A2
25-45
5.8
5.1
0.6
2.3
1.2
0.07
0.15
B21
55-75
6.4
5.3
0.11
5.8
12
0.24
1.4
B22
85-100
6.7
5.8
0.13
4.5
13
0.24
1.8
B23
100+
6.7
6
0.21

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
Ex Al
mg/kg
Ex Ac
meq/100g
Field
pF2.5
Wilting Point
pF4.2
Coarse Sand
(0.2- 2.0 mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02- 0.2 mm)
Silt
(0.002- 0.02 mm)
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
A1
0-10
27
15
30.4
10.3
9.3
50.1
22.5
10
A2
25-45
<10
7.4
22.2
6.1
7.4
53.1
20
17
B21
55-75
<10
14
47.9
29.8
1.1
12.2
4.5
77
B22
85-100
<10
14
48.7
29.5
1.6
12.7
5.5
78.5
B23
100+


Management Considerations:

Subsoil (B) Horizons

  • The subsoil displays vertic features (i.e. slickensides) which indicates that significant shrinking and swelling occurs during wetting and drying cycles. This may have engineering implications and is likely to explain the variability in surface horizon depth across the trench.
  • The dense and coarsely structured subsoil will restrict the growth of roots down the profile.


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