GL114

Site: GL114	Land Unit: Merino Tablelands
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Melanic-Vertic, ?, Black CHROMOSOL (confidence level 3)

Soil pit GL111 landscape

Soil pit GL114 auger

General Land Unit Description:
This unit consists of the Cretaceous non-marine sandstone of the dissected Merino Tablelands. The tablelands were thought to have formed under swamp conditions and a warm climate. As a result, the soils tend to be high in clay and there tends to be carbon rich seams of charcoal deposits at depth in some of the profiles. The main soil type used to represent this land unit is black cracking clays (Vertosols) that can be sodic at depth. This soil type, along with Black Sodosols, Chromosols and Dermosols, are commonly found in the broad crests or drainage lines. The slopes often consist of Brown Chromosols, Sodosols or Dermosols, although black soils can also occur on the slopes. The lower slopes commonly have Grey Vertosols or Sodosols as the major soil type. The reasonably deep sodic soils on short steep slopes tend to be prone to landslips. The grey soils, in particular are prone to water erosion.

Site Description:

Geology: Cretaceous non-marine sandstone	Landform pattern:
Position in landscape: Drainage depression	Internal drainage: Imperfectly drained

Key profile features:

Strong texture contrast between topsoil and subsoil
Shallow topsoil
Deeper subsoil dispersive when dry
Deeper subsoil possibly sodic
Subsoil cracks when dry
Strongly alkaline subsoil at depth

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