GL173

Site: GL173	Land Unit: Hillside Basalts
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Mottled, Epipedal, Brown VERTOSOL (confidence level 1)

General Land Unit Description:
This land unit represents the gently undulating to undulating basalt plains around Ararat. The plains are often dissected with very slight rises. The soils on the plains are commonly Brown Vertosols (represented by this site). There are commonly large cracks on the surface when the soil is dry and the soils themselves indicate significant movement. GL172 represents the lighter textured basalt soils on the slight rises, predominantly Red Sodosols. The soil indicates that there is some gilgai micro-relief although it is not that evident on the surface. Rock outcrop can occur, particularly on the crests of the small rises. Ferromanganiferous nodules can occur above the clayey subsoil. This often occurs as a thin band.

Site Description:

Slope: 2%	Geology: Quaternary basalt
Landform pattern: Level to gently undulating plain	Position in landscape: Plain
Internal drainage: Poorly drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-15 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3) medium clay, strong polyhedral structure (2-5 mm), firm consistence when dry, pH 5.6; clear but wavy transition to:
	Subsoil
B21	15-40 cm	Brown (10YR5/3) heavy clay, many distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR6/8) mottles, strong prismatic (50-100 mm) to strong angular blocky structure (20-50 mm), very firm consistence when dry, pH 6.1; clear transition to:
B22	40-90 cm	Dark greyish brown (10YR4/2) heavy clay, many distinct strong brown (7.5YR4/6) mottles, strong prismatic (50-100 mm) to strong angular blocky structure (20-50 mm), few distinct slickensides, pH 6.4; diffuse transition to:
B3	90-140 cm	Light olive brown (2.5Y5/4) heavy clay, many faint light brownish grey (2.5YR6/2) mottles, strong lenticular structure, few distinct slickensides, pH 6.5.

Key profile features:

Clay throughout
Cracking soil
Sodic at depth
Mottled subsoil
Topsoil dispersive when worked when wet
Subsoil dispersive when dry

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