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SW91

Location: Batesford

Australian Soil Classification: Vertic, Hypercalcic, Black CHROMOSOL (moderate profile depth)

General Landscape Description: Gently undulating plain.
Site Description: Flat.
Geology: Newer volcanics


Soil Profile Morphology:


Surface Soil


Ap0-10 cmBrown (10YR4/3 moist); loam; weak consistence dry; pH 6.8; abrupt change to:
South West Gasp Pipeline SW91 Profile
SW91 Profile
A1210-30 cmVery dark grey (10YR3/1 moist); clay loam, fine sandy; very firm consistence dry; medium to coarse (10-30 mm) granular to polyhedral structure; rough faced peds; pH 6.6; clear change to:
Subsoil
B21tg30-50/70 cmVery dark grey (10YR3/1 moist) to very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2 moist) with dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2 moist) and reddish brown (5YR4/4 moist) mottles; medium to heavy clay; smooth faced peds; moderate medium (<50 mm) prismatic, parting to coarse (20-50 mm) angular blocky/polyhedral structure; moderately vertic with prominent slickensides at base; strong consistence dry; pH 7.3; sharp and wavy change to:
B22k/R 50/70-80 cmSoft whitish carbonate; rounded weathered and fractured basalt; sharp and wavy change to:
R80+ cmFractured basalt.

Key Profile Features:
  • Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon.
  • Vertic features (slickensides) in subsoil.
  • Calcium carbonate segregations in deeper subsoil.
  • Moderate soil profile depth (overlying fractured basalt).

Soil Profile Characteristics:

pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Slightly Acid
Low
Non-Sodic
None
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Slightly Alkaline
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None


Image: SW91 Graphs
Image: SW91 Graphs

The surface is slightly acid. The subsoil is slightly alkaline.Salinity rating is low in the surface and very low in the subsoil.The soil is non sodic throughout the profile.The clay content increases markedly at the A/B boundary.

Horizon
Sample Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC
1:5
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A1
0-10
6.8
6.4
0.17
11
4.4
0.87
0.32
A12
10-25
6.6
6
0.14
12
4.2
0.7
0.41
Btg
35-50
7.3
6.5
0.09
22
9.3
1.1
0.33

Horizon
Sample Depth
(cm)
Organic Carbon
%
Nitrogen
%
Field Capacity
pF2.5
Wilting Point
pF4.2
Coarse Sand
(0.2- 2.0 mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02- 0.2 mm)
Silt
(0.002- 0.02 mm)
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
A1
0-10
2.4
0.20
28.3
12.4
16
36
16
25
A12
10-25
32
15.9
8
38
18
31
Btg
35-50
51.2
28.4
4
20
9
60



Notes:

  • Between this site and the Barwon River crossing the soil varies across the plain with small changes in elevation and slope. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is ubiquitous and prominent. Soil surface horizons range from nearly black (usually very dark grey) through to dark grey to brown. Sometimes crusting and self-mulching. Soil depth is generally <1.0 m but some small pockets of grey clay >2.0 m, which are strongly vertic, but these are rare occurrences and associated with lower spots, probably silted drainage lines or depressions.

Profile Described By: Richard McEwan (March 1999).
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