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GL163

Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Petroferric, Brown CHROMOSOL (confidence level 1)
General Landscape Description: Low Hills / Rises
Site Description: Upper slope
Land Unit: Dundas Sedimentary
Geology: Tertiary marine sandstone
General Land Unit Description: This site is situated on low hills with a Tertiary capping. Due to restrictions of scale, this site is not mapped as the Dundas land unit. It has been used to illustrate the variability in the parent material in the dissected landforms in the north-west of the study area. The most distinguishing feature of this soil is a thin petroferric pan. The pan occurs at 60 cm, which is slightly deeper than is common. Underneath the pan there is a band of heavy clay that overlies Tertiary quartz river gravels, which have proven to be gold bearing. The river gravels are not necessarily common. The petroferric pan may be the result of a fluctuating watertable.


Soil pit GL163 landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:


Surface SoilSoil pit GL163 profile
A110-15 cmReddish brown (10YR5/4); fine sandy loam, moderate medium to fine subangular blocky structure; weak consistence, dry; pH 5.1; gradual change to:
A1215-30 cmYellowish red (5YR4/6); fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; weak consistence, dry; contains many medium subangular ferruginous nodules; pH 5.4; abrupt and wavy change to:
Subsoil
B2130-60 cmYellowish red (50YR4/6) with very few fine faint yellow mottles; medium clay; weak subangular blocky structure; firm consistence, dry; contains a few small subangular ferruginous nodules; pH 5.9; sharp and wavy change to:
Pan60-75 cmVery strongly cemented continuous ferruginous pan; sharp and wavy change to:
B2275-90 cmRed (2.5YR4/6) , with many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR5/6) mottles; heavy clay, moderate polyhedral structure; strong consistence, dry; contains very few fine ferruginous nodules; pH 6.0; clear to gradual change to:
B2390-130 cmQuartz river gravels




Soil Profile Characteristics:

-

pH
Salinity
Surface Soil
(A11 horizon)
Strongly Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None1
Subsoil
(30-60 cm)
Moderately Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None
Deeper Subsoil
(75 -90 cm)
Moderately Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None
1 Moderate dispersion after remoulding (20 hrs).

Soil pit GL163 graphs

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl
2)
EC
dS/m
Organic Carbon
%
Total
Nitrogen
%
Exchangeable Aluminium
ppm
Exchangeable Acididty
meq/100g
Exchangeable Cations
Coarse Sand
(0.2-2.0 mm)
%
Fine Sand
(0.02-0.2 mm)
%
Silt
(0.002-0.02 mm)
%
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
%
Field Capacity
% w/w
Wilting Point
% w/w
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A110-15 cm
5.1
4.3
<0.05
2.7
0.17
46
9.4
1.2
0.43
0.41
0.08
27
47
10
13
17.7
7.2
A1215-30 cm
5.4
4.7
<0.05
12
6.3
1.8
0.71
0.2
0.07
26
45
11
20
17.7
7.8
B2130-60 cm
5.9
5.3
<0.05
<10
6.7
3.0
2.1
0.24
0.1
22
30
7
43
25.2
14.3
B2275-90 cm
6.0
5.8
0.05
<10
6.1
2.9
4.2
0.15
0.15
7
27
9
59
35.4
21.3


Key Profile Features:

  • Acidic topsoil
  • Strong texture contrast between topsoil and subsoil
  • Mottled subsoil
  • Cemented petroferric pan
  • Topsoil dispersive when worked when wet


Profile Described By:
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