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MP38b

Location: Walpeup

Australian Soil Classification: Sodic, Hypercalcic, Red CHROMOSOL (medium sandy surface)

General Landscape Description: Swale between east-west dune.
Geology: Quaternary (Woorinen Formation) deposits.
Land Use: Cropping.

MP38 and MP39 landscape
MP38 and MP39 landscape


Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A10-20 cmStrong brown (7.5YR4/6); loamy sand; very weak consistence dry; non calcareous; pH 7.9:
MP38b profile
MP38b profile
Subsoil
B120-25 cmDark brown (7.5YR3/4); sandy clay loam; weak coarse blocky structure; weak consistence moist; non calcareous; pH 8.1:
B2125-35 cmYellowish red (5YR5/6) with some yellowish red (5YR4/6); medium clay (sandy); weak coarse blocky structure; weak consistence moist; moderately calcareous; pH 8.6:
B22k35-50 cmReddish yellow (5YR6/8); light medium clay; weak consistence moist; contains a common (20%) amount of soft and hard carbonate; very strongly calcareous; pH 8.9:
B23k50-100 cmYellowish red (5YR5/8); light clay becoming clay loam with depth; weak polyhedral structure; firm consistence moist; contains a few (2-5%) hard carbonates (5-10 mm in size) and very many (>50%) soft carbonates; very strongly calcareous; pH 9.6:

Key Profile Features:
  • Texture contrast between sandy surface (A) horizon and subsoil (B21) horizon.
  • Large amount of soft carbonate in deeper subsoil.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Slightly Alkaline
Very Low
--
__
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Strongly Alkaline
Very Low
Non Sodic
None1
Deeper Subsoil
(at 50 cm)
Extremely Alkaline
Low
Strongly Sodic
--
1 Moderate dispersion after remoulding.

Image: MP38 graphs
The soil profile becomes increasingly alkaline with depth.The level of soluble salts is low throughout the profile.The upper soil profile is non-sodic becoming strongly sodic with depth.There is a moderate increase in clay content at the A/B horizon boundary.
Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC
1:5
NaCI
%
Exchangeable Cations
Total Nitrogen
%
Organic Carbon
%
Wilting Point
pF4.2
Coarse Sand
(0.2 - 2 mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02 - 0.2 mm)
Silt
(0.002 - 0.02 mm)
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A1
0-20
7.9
7.3
0.05
2.9
1
0.6
0.1
0.06
0.29
2.6
33
59
0
8
B1
20-25
8.1
7.4
0.07
8.6
2.6
1.5
0.1
6.7
36
38
3
23
B21
25-35
8.6
8
0.13
11
4
1.4
0.2
9.9
38
34
3
26
B22k
35-50
8.9
8.2
0.14
10
7
1.1
0.3
14.8
29
24
4
36
B23k
50-100
9.6
8.6
0.32
<0.05
5.5
10
1.1
3.4
14.9
30
19
2
35

Profile Described By: Mark Imhof and Nathalie Baxter (September 1996).
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This page was last updated on 23/03/2020.