Glossudalf
A soil profile of a Glossudalf in Idaho. The subsoil from depths of about 60 to 150 cm is a glossic horizon with a brown and gray color pattern. The gray areas consist of eluvial material from which a significant amount of clay has been leached. The brown areas are illuvial clay-enriched materials (argillic part of the horizon). This color pattern is easily seen on the lower left side of the photo, where the soil profile has been smoothed. A glossic horizon is thought to be a degrading argillic horizon. (Soil Survey Staff. 2015. Illustrated guide to Soil Taxonomy. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska)
Glossudalfs have an argillic (clay accumulation) subsoil horizon that shows evidence of destruction in the form of a glossic horizon. The glossic horizon extends through the argillic horizon in some of these soils. Glossudalfs are more extensive in Europe than in the United States.
The glossic horizon is a degrading argillic, kandic, or natric horizon. In this horizon, eluviation of clay and iron oxides is occurring. This results in the formation of albic materials to the extent that they make up 15 to 85 percent of the volume of the horizon. The albic materials appear as light-colored tongues extending into the horizon between ped surfaces. As the degradation process proceeds, the tongues occupy progressively more of the horizon, until only remnants of the former argillic, kandic, or natric horizon remain.
For additional information about soil classification, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/cla...
Glossudalf
A soil profile of a Glossudalf in Idaho. The subsoil from depths of about 60 to 150 cm is a glossic horizon with a brown and gray color pattern. The gray areas consist of eluvial material from which a significant amount of clay has been leached. The brown areas are illuvial clay-enriched materials (argillic part of the horizon). This color pattern is easily seen on the lower left side of the photo, where the soil profile has been smoothed. A glossic horizon is thought to be a degrading argillic horizon. (Soil Survey Staff. 2015. Illustrated guide to Soil Taxonomy. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska)
Glossudalfs have an argillic (clay accumulation) subsoil horizon that shows evidence of destruction in the form of a glossic horizon. The glossic horizon extends through the argillic horizon in some of these soils. Glossudalfs are more extensive in Europe than in the United States.
The glossic horizon is a degrading argillic, kandic, or natric horizon. In this horizon, eluviation of clay and iron oxides is occurring. This results in the formation of albic materials to the extent that they make up 15 to 85 percent of the volume of the horizon. The albic materials appear as light-colored tongues extending into the horizon between ped surfaces. As the degradation process proceeds, the tongues occupy progressively more of the horizon, until only remnants of the former argillic, kandic, or natric horizon remain.
For additional information about soil classification, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/cla...