GHF03d

Location: Bessiebelle

Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Sodic, Mesotrophic, Brown CHROMOSOL (thick surface horizons)
General Landscape Description: Gently Undulating Plain
Land Unit: Follet Dunes and Plains
Geology: Quaternary aeolian

General Land Unit Description: The majority of this land unit falls south of the Kanawinka fault. This land unit comprises areas with deep sand deposits. The residual landscape is thought to be influenced by the retreat of the Murray Sea which left stranded beach ridges oriented south west–north east. These were subsequently covered by superficial sand sheets in later depositional phases, which formed the landscape we see today.

The major landforms in this land unit are dunes and swales. Podosols and Kurosols or Chromosols are the major soil types found on the dunes and rises. Podosols are soils with a ‘coffee rock’ layer (refer to photograph below). The Kurosols or Chromosols tend to have a deep sandy topsoil over the clay. The common soil types on the swales are black cracking clay (Vertosols) or Grey Sodosols. Some Ferric Kurosols or Chromosols can also occur on the swales or lower slopes of the dunes.






Soil Profile Morphology

Surface

A1	0-20 cm	Dark greyish brown (10YR4/2) sandy loam; weak granular structure (5-10 mm); very weak consistence when dry; many medium roots; clear and smooth transition to:
A2	20-40 cm	Light yellowish brown (10YR6/4) heavy sandy loam; massive structure; very weak consistence when dry; many medium roots; clear and smooth transition to:
A3	40-50 cm	Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) sandy clay; massive structure; very weak consistence when moderately moist; few medium ferruginous nodules; many very fine macropores; aereal porosity 0.2%; many medium roots; clear and smooth transition to:
Subsoil
Bs	50-55 cm	Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) sandy clay; unable to assess structure and macroporosity due to the presence of very many segregations; weak consistence when moderately moist; very many medium ferruginous nodules; few very fine roots; abrupt and smooth transition to:
B21	55-85 cm	Brown (10YR5/6) with few medium distinct red (2.5YR4/8) mottles, light clay; moderate polyhedral structure (20-50 mm) parting to moderate polyhedral structure (10-20 mm); weak consistence when moderately moist; common very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.1%; few very fine roots; diffuse and smooth transition to:
B22	85-130 cm	Yellowish brown (10YR5/6) with many medium distinct red (2.5YR4/8) and light grey (10YR7/2) mottles, light clay; moderate polyhedral structure (20-50 mm) parting to moderate polyhedral structure (10-20 mm); weak consistence when moist; common very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.08%; few very fine roots; gradual and smooth transition to:
B3	130-160 cm	Light grey (10YR7/2) with many coarse prominent red (2.5YR4/8) and brownish yellow (10YR6/8) mottles, medium heavy clay (with sand); weak polyhedral structure (20-50 mm); firm consistence when moist; few very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.03%; few very fine roots.
	160-390 cm	Medium to heavy grey clays (coarsely structured with slickensides) with pockets of red/brown sandy clay, live roots to 300 cm, remnant roots to 390 cm in cracks and in planes along ped faces.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	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
A1	0-20	5.5	4.7	<0.05	3.1	0.13	30		2.5	0.89	0.06	0.19	53	27	8	7
A2	20-40	5.5	4.6	<0.05			45		0.60	0.70	<0.05	0.14	58	24	6	12
A3	40-50	5.6	4.7	<0.05			37		0.62	1.4	0.06	0.21	51	21	4	23
Bs	50-55	5.8	5.0	0.06			7	7.2	1.1	2.0	0.10	0.39	48	18	3	29	17.8	10.5
B21	55-85	5.8	5.4	0.11			<10	8.4	1.7	3.5	0.08	0.76	29	10	3	57
B22	85-130	5.6	5.3	0.16			<10	6.8	1.8	2.8	0.06	0.93
B23	130-160	5.3	4.9	0.21