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 |
Soil Profile Morphology:
Surface Soil
A1 | 0-20 cm | Strong brown (7.5YR4/6); loamy sand; very weak consistence dry; non calcareous; pH 7.9: |
MP38b profile |
Subsoil
| | |
B1 | 20-25 cm | Dark brown (7.5YR3/4); sandy clay loam; weak coarse blocky structure; weak consistence moist; non calcareous; pH 8.1: |
B21 | 25-35 cm | Yellowish red (5YR5/6) with some yellowish red (5YR4/6); medium clay (sandy); weak coarse blocky structure; weak consistence moist; moderately calcareous; pH 8.6: |
B22k | 35-50 cm | Reddish 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: |
B23k | 50-100 cm | Yellowish 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.
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).