introduction to soils and soil descriptions · inceptisols [ept] “embryonic soils” soils with...
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Introduction to Soils and Soil Descriptions
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Why do we need to know something about soils?
• Stability of the land surface
• Clues to past climate and vegetation
• Clues to terrestrial or aquatic environment
• Datable materials
• Document changes in geomorphic setting
• Mapping extent of sedimentary units and geomorphic surfaces
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Soil mapping units
(Schaetzl and Anderson, 2005, p. 35)
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O Horizon: surface accumulation of organic matter. Top layer is undecomposed and visible to the naked eye.
A Horizon: Mineral horizon that occurs under an O horizon or at the surface. The top A horizon contains accumulated organic matter and is typically dark. May have granular structure
E Horizon: Zone of eluviation of silicate clays, Fe, Al oxides. Pale in color and coarser due to leaching.
B Horizon: Zone of illuviation. Has little or no geologic structure. It may have illuvial accumulation of clays, aluminum, iron, salts, or humus. Structure may be blocky with coatings or gleying.
C Horizon: Weathered parent material, may have accumulation of carbonates
Soil pedon “a soil individual”
(Buol et al., 1980; Walker and Cohen, 2007)
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Soil taxonomy and classification
System consists of 6 categories (#s in the U.S as of 2002)
Order (12)
Suborder (60)
Great groups (300)
Subgroups (2,400)
Families (5,500)
Series (17,000) [ie. county level soil mapping series]
(Walker and Cohen, 2007)
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Distinguish features for distinguishing soil orders
(1) Composition of the soil (mineral vs. organic)
(2) Diagnostic horizons
(3) Distinctness of horizons
(4) Base saturation
(Walker and Cohen, 2007)
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Soil orders common in the Midwest and major features Alfisols [alf] “forest soils” Subsurface horizons of silicate clay accumulation and moderate
to high base saturation. Humid climate with forest or prairie veg Entisols [ent] “recently formed” Little or no morphological development. This is due to
youth, dryness or cold, inertness of parent materials, or other factors that prevent soil horizon development.
Histosols [ist] “organic soils” Soils consisting largely of organic matter. These soils represent nonoxidizing, or water saturated conditions, such as the peat and muck in former bogs and ponds.
Inceptisols [ept] “embryonic soils” Soils with some diagnostic horizon or horizons, poorly expressed. A horizon is usually pale or dark gray, B horizon often red and bioturbated.
Mollisols [oll] “grassland soils” Soils with thick, dark surface horizons, moderate to high in organic matter, with a high base status. Characteristics of grasslands of steppes and prairies.
Spodosols [od] “subsoil sesquioxide” Soils with subsurface horizons of amorphous accumulations or of cementation with iron oxides. Moist sandy soil with pale gray, loose top horizon. Forest.
(Buol and others, 1980; Walker and Cohen, 2007)
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Soil horizon nomenclature
(1) Use capital letters for master soil horizons (B = B horizon)
(2) Use suffixes to describe additional characteristics and features (Bs = B horizon with illuvial accumulation of sesquioxides)
(3) Use numerical prefixes to denote lithologic discontinuities (2Bs)
(4) Numerical suffixes denote subdivisions within a master horizon (Bt1, 2Bt2)
(5) The prime (‘) is used to indicate a 2nd occurrence of an identical horizon descriptor, but not for buried horizons (indicated by suffix “b”) or a lithologic change (denoted by numerical prefix).
(Walker and Cohen, 2007)
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Entisols – new surfaces, beginning of soil development
i = slightly decomposed organic matter w = weak color or structure in the B horiz. t = illuvial accumulation of silicate clay
Images from www.geo.msu.edu/SoilProfiles
Lamellic Udipsamment A - Bw - E - E and Bt1 - E and Bt2 - BC Location: Southern Michigan, USA. Photo by R. Schaetzl. Tape increments 10 cm. Typic Udipsamment Oi - A - Bs - BC - C
Location: Central Lower Michigan, USA. Photo by R. Schaetzl
ud [L., udus, humid] = high moisture psamm [Gr., psammos, sand] = sandy texture
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Inceptisol – weak horizonation
Images from www.geo.msu.edu/SoilProfiles
dystr [Gr., dys, ill; distrophic, infertile] = low base saturation, acidity problems likely
Spodic Dystrudept A - E - Bw - E/Bt - Bt/E - Bw'1 - Bw'2 - 2BC Location: Forest County, NE Wisconsin, USA. Photo by R. Schaetzl
Spodic Dystr-ud-ept
Order
Great group
Suborder Extragrade
formative
elements
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Histosols -- wetlands
r = soft or weathered bedrock
Images from www.geo.msu.edu/SoilProfiles
sapr [Gr., sapro, rotten, dead, decaying] = having less than one-sixth (by volume) of the organic soil material consisting of recognizable plant tissue (after rubbing)
Lithic Haplosaprist Oi1 - Oi2 - 2Cr Location: Central Upper Michigan, USA. Photo by R. Schaetzl
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Spodosols – evergreen forests, acidic, sandy
i = slightly decomposed organic matter a = highly decomposed organic matter h = illuvial accumulation of organic matter s = illuvial accumulation of sequioxides m = strongly cemented
Images from www.geo.msu.edu/SoilProfiles
hapl [Gr., haplous, simple] = minimum horizon development orth [Gr., orthos, true] = the common ones
Typic Haplorthod Oi - Oa - E - Bhs - Bsm - Bs - BC - C Location: Central Upper Michigan, USA. Photo by R. Schaetzl
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Alfisols – Deciduous forest
Inceptic Hapludalf A - Bs - E - Bt1 - 2Bt2 - 3C Location: Eastern Lower Michigan, USA. Photo by R. Schaetzl
Inceptic Hapludalf A - E - Bs - E' - 2Bt1 - 2Bt2 - 2BC - 2C Location: NE Lower Michigan, USA. Tape increments 10 cm. Photo by R. Schaetzl
s = illuvial accumulation of sesquioxides t = illuvial accumulation of clay
Images from www.geo.msu.edu/SoilProfiles
hapl [Gr., haplous, simple] = minimum horizon development ud [L., udus, humid] = high moisture
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Mollisols -- Prairies
w = weak color or structure t = illuvial accumulation of silicate clay
Images from www.geo.msu.edu/SoilProfiles
hapl [Gr., haplous, simple] = minimum horizon development ud [L., udus, humid] = of humid climate
Typic Hapludoll A - BA - Bw1 - Bw2 - Bw3 - Bt - R Location: Dodge County, SE Wisconsin, USA. Photo by R. Schaetzl
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Soil Geomorphology and the Catena Concept
Figure 9.7 Schematic diagrams of soil-slope relations (Birkland, 1999)
Slope is stable
Slope is unstable
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Field
~ 1839 land purchase Ipswich Prairie
Platte River – Galena River
Upland Drainage Divide,
SE Grant County, Wisconsin
Field
~1839 Land Purchase
Jim Knox photos
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Southeast Grant County
Wisconsin Upland Sites
Approximately 38 cm
of topsoil erosion has
occurred during the
past 175 years of
agricultural land use.
(Source: Knox, 2001)
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Severe rill erosion in late 19th century NW Illinois corn field. Photo Source: Wisconsin State Historical Society.
tree stump
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(Buol et al., 1997)
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Figure 6.29 Idealized changes in paleosol type and maturity with distance away from channel (Bridge, 2003)
Paleosols, Soil Geomorphology, and Floodplains
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Example valley stratigraphic column Middle Fork Vermilion River near Armstrong, IL
(Stanke, 1988)
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Web soil survey of Boardman area
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/
Using soil mapping units for geomorphic interpretation and history (top 5 ft)
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Web soil survey of Boardman area
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/
Using soil mapping units for geomorphic interpretation and history (top 5 ft)
Lu = Lupton Muck
Tr = Tonkey-Hettinger-Pickford loam overwash
Ka = Kalkaska loamy sand
Soil series descriptions
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Paleosols in alluvial settings
• Difficult to distinguish
• Overprinting with modern pedogenesis
• Muting from post-burial processes
• Indicators of paleoenvironments
• Look at on a landscape basis
• Represent periods of stability
• May have human artifacts
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(Schaetzl and Anderson, 2005, p. 550)
Soil development and relative dating
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Soil development or depositional unit?
Boardman River, Keystone Impoundment, Stop 2