CRC4

Location: Warrayure

Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Ferric, Sodosolic, Redoxic HYDROSOL
Site Description: Closed depression associated with Tertiary (Pleistocene) strand lines (Dorodong sands equivalent)

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-10 cm	Brown (7.5YR4/4); loamy sand; weakly structured; firm consistence (dry); pH 5.4; clear change to:	CRC4 profile
A2	10-20 cm	Brown (10YR5/3); conspicuously bleached; sand; weakly structured; weak consistence (moderately moist); pH 5.8; abrupt change to:
Subsoil
B1	20-30 cm	Pale brown (10YR6/3); sandy clay loam; weak-moderate blocky, parting to fine blocky structure; firm consistence (slightly moist); few (2-5%) ferruginous nodules (2-3 mm) (subangular pisoliths); rusty root channel mottling; pH 5.5; clear change to:
B21	30-45 cm	Brown (10YR5/3) with strong brown (7.5YR5/8) mottles common; light clay (fine sandy); moderate medium blocky, parting to moderate fine blocky structure; pH 6.1; clear change to:
B22c	45-65 cm	Light grey (2.5Y7/2) with yellowish brown (10YR5/8) mottles; gravelly clay; very many (60%) ferruginous nodules (2-8 mm); pH 6.3; clear change to:
B23	65-85 cm	Brownish yellow (10YR6/8) with many light grey (2.5Y7/2) mottles; light medium clay (sandy); moderate coarse blocky; few (5%) ferruginous nodules (2-5 mm); pH 6.3; gradual change to:
B24	85-100 cm	Brownish yellow (10YR6/8) with light grey (2.5Y7/2) mottles common; light medium clay (sandy); moderate to strong very coarse prismatic structure; pH 5.8; gradual change to:
B25	100+ cm	Yellow (2.5Y7/8) with many light grey (2.5Y7/1) mottles; light medium clay (sandy); moderate-strong very coarse prismatic, parting to moderate-strong coarse to medium polyhedral structure; ferruginous sandstone fragments (5-50 mm) and ferruginous nodules common (15%); pH 5.8:
C		Ferruginous sandstone

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Strongly Acid	Low	Sodic	None¹
Subsoil (B21 horizon (30-45 cm)	Slightly Acid	High	Strongly Sodic	None²
Deeper subsoil (at 100+ cm)	Moderately Acid	Medium	Sodic	None

¹ Slight-moderate dispersion after remoulding
²Strong dispersion after remoulding

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC dS/m	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
A1	0-10	5.4	4.8	0.45	<10	3.5	0.12	0.7	1.4	<0.1	37.9	48.8	7.0	8.0	10.7	3.4
A2	10-20	5.8	5.2	0.35	<10	1.6	0.09	0.4	1.0	<0.1	35.2	51.4	7.0	5.0	11.7	2.2
B1	20-30	5.5	5.0	0.77	<10	4.9	0.20	1.0	4.0	<0.1	33.5	40.6	13.5	14.0	21.9	7.8
B21	30-45	6.1	5.5	0.58	<10	5.9	0.14	1.9	8.4	<0.1	26.4	34.5	8.0	29.0	31.0	14.1
B22c	45-65	6.3	5.6	0.42	<10	5.8	0.07	2.1	8.4	<0.1	40.7	17.0	9.0	30.0	34.1	16.7
B23	65-85	6.3	5.7	0.29	<10	4.9	0.09	1.7	6.8	<0.1	24.4	32.0	13.0	30.5	30.4	14.3
B24	85-100	5.8	5.5	0.30	<10	5.3	0.09	1.2	4.9	<0.1	23.1	33.2	11.0	34.0	29.9	15.3
B25	100+	5.8	5.5	0.28	<10	4.9	0.09	1.2	5.0	<0.1	25.9	33.2	11.0	30.5	28.2	14.1

Management Considerations:

The major part of the soil profile is likely to be saturated for a number of months in most years.

Subsoil (B) Horizons

The level of soluble salts is high in the upper part of the subsoil – but decreases with depth.

Profile Described By: Mark Imhof, Austin Brown, Darren Bennetts and Malcolm McCaskill - March 2003.

Page top