Knowra Soil morphology Soil morphology Soil morphology is the observable form and arrangement of soil features, including horizons, structure, color, texture, and consistence. It provides a basis for describing and comparing soils in the field.
Soil horizon : A layer of soil roughly parallel to the land surface, distinguished by properties produced through soil formation. Horizon boundaries organize the vertical pattern described in a soil profile.
Soil formation : The development of soil through interactions among climate, organisms, relief, parent material, and time. These interacting factors generate the features described in soil morphology.
Soil classification : The systematic grouping of soils according to defined properties and diagnostic features. Morphological features help identify diagnostic horizons used in classification systems.
Soil physics : The study of physical properties and processes in soil, including water, heat, air, and mechanical behavior. It quantifies processes and properties that field morphology describes in visible form.
Soil structure : The arrangement of soil particles into aggregates, called peds, and the pattern of spaces between them. Ped shape, size, and grade describe how soil material is assembled.
Soil eluviation : The removal of dissolved or suspended materials from a soil horizon by percolating water. Eluviation can leave pale, depleted layers visible in a soil profile.
Soil survey : The systematic examination, classification, and mapping of soils across a landscape. Field morphology supplies observations used to delineate and describe soil map units.
Soil chemistry : The study of chemical composition and reactions in soils, including nutrient availability and acidity. Chemical tests can explain differences that appearance alone cannot identify.
Soil color : A soil property recorded by hue, value, and chroma, often using the Munsell color system. Color variations help distinguish horizons and record drainage or material differences.
Soil illuviation : The accumulation in a soil horizon of materials transported from above by water or other processes. Illuviation can produce enriched subsurface horizons and distinctive coatings.
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