GL80

Site: GL80	Land Unit: Nelson Dunes and Plains
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Ferric, Eutrophic, Red FERROSOL (confidence level 1)

Soil pit GL80 auger

General Land Unit Description:
This land unit occurs in the south western corner of the region. The land unit is generally composed of siliceous sand dunes and plains over calcareous material. The partly consolidated calcareous deposits were formed in an arcuate band (north west / south east trending) formed by the retreat of the Murray Sea. The siliceous dune and sand sheet material is generally of aeolian origin. Although there is a large area of this land unit in the south west of the study area there are also some isolated patches, mainly mixed amongst the Follet land unit that could not be mapped due to restrictions of scale.

The sand varies from orange (GL48), to red (GL39) to a paler colour, represented by this soil type. The orange and red sands are usually associated with the calcareous material, whereas the paler sands tend to have less carbonate (e.g. GL51, GL38) or the calcareous material is greater than 2 metres deep (e.g. GL50). Another soil variant occurs on the swales in between the dunes. This soil tends to have a heavier textured subsoil which may or may not have calcareous material underneath.

Site Description:

Slope: 6%	Geology: Quaternary limestone
Landform pattern: Dune	Position in landscape: Lower slope
Internal drainage: Moderately well drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-10 cm	Very dark grey (10YR3/1) sandy clay loam, weak to massive structure, firm consistence when dry, pH 7.9; transition to:
	Subsoil
B11	10-25 cm	Dark brown (7.5YR3/3) fine sandy clay loam, massive structure, firm consistence when dry, pH 7.7; transition to:
B12	25-35 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/4) fine sandy clay loam, massive structure, firm consistence when dry, pH 7.8; transition to:
B2	35-120 cm	Strong brown (7.5YR4/4) light clay, moderate to strong subangular blocky structure (2-5 mm), very firm consistence when dry, pH 7.4; transition to:
B3	120-160 cm	Strong brown (7.5YR4/4), sandy clay, weak to massive structure, weak consistence when dry, pH 6.6.

Key profile features:

High in free iron

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