GL96

Site: GL96	Land Unit: Merino Tablelands
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Vertic, Mottled-Hypernatric, Grey SODOSOL (confidence level 1)

Soil pit GL92 landscape

Soil pit GL96 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 on 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: Undulating rises
Position in landscape: Lowerslope	Internal drainage: Imperfectly drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A0	0-5 cm	Organic loam, strong subangular blocky structure (2 mm); transition to:
A1	5-15 cm	Grey (2.5Y5/1) clay loam, massive structure, strong consistence when dry, a few sedimentary fragments present, pH 6.0; transition to:
	Subsoil
B21	15-25 cm	Dark grey (2.5Y4/1) light clay, sporadically bleached (2.5Y7/1) when dry, medium to strong subangular blocky structure, strong consistence when dry, pH 9.9; transition to:
B22	25-120 cm	Dark grey (2.5Y4/1) clay, many pale mottles, very hard consistence, pH 9.9; transition to:
B23	120-160 cm	Dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2) clay, many faint orange mottles, very hard consistence, pH 9.9; transition to:
B24	160-220+ cm	Greyish brown (2.5Y5/2) clay, distinct orange mottles are abundant, very hard consistence, pH 8.6.

Key profile features:

Strongly alkaline subsoil
Mottled subsoil
Strong sodic subsoil
Hardsetting subsoil
Topsoil dispersive when worked when wet
Subsoil dispersive when dry

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