GL97

Site: GL97	Land Unit: Merino Tablelands
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Haplic, Epipedal, Black VERTOSOL (confidence level 2).

Soil pit GL92 landscape

Soil pit GL97 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:

Slope: 8%	Geology: Cretaceous non-marine sandstone
Landform pattern: Rolling low hills and rises	Position in landscape: Upper slope
Internal drainage: Imperfectly drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-20 cm	Very dark grey (10YR3/1) light clay, medium subangular blocky structure (5-10 mm), firm consistence when dry, a few medium sedimentary pebbles, pH 6; transition to:
	Subsoil
B21	20-40 cm	Black (10YR2/1) light clay, strong lenticular (10-20 mm) to medium subangular blocky structure (2-5 mm), firm consistence when moderately moist, pH 5.6; transition to:
B22	40-70 cm	Black (10YR2/1) light clay, very few distinct orange mottles, medium prismatic to angular blocky structure (5-10 mm), firm consistence when moderately dry, pH 5.9; transition to:
B23	70-100 cm	Black (7.5YR2.5/1) medium heavy clay, many distinct orange mottles, medium subangular blocky (5-10 mm) to strong subangular blocky structure (2-5 mm), very firm consistence when moderately moist, pH 5.9; transition to:
B24	100-130 cm	Dark greyish brown (10YR4.2) medium heavy clay, medium prismatic (20-30 mm) to strong angular blocky structure (5-10 mm), very firm consistence when moderately moist, many very large organic black (2.5Y2.5/1) skins, pH 6.3; transition to:
B3	130-185 cm	Light olive brown (2.5Y5/3) light medium clay, massive to weak prismatic structure, very firm consistence when moderately moist, very large organic black (2.5Y2.5/1) skins are common, pH 6.9; transition to:
BC	185-200+ cm	Light olive brown (2.5Y5/4), pH 7.1.

Key profile features:

Cracking soil
Mottled subsoil
Topsoil slightly dispersive when worked when wet
Subsoil dispersive when worked when wet

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