Soil structure: Columnar structure
Columnar structure has vertically elongated units with rounded tops. Columnar soil structure looks very similar to prismatic structure, except the tops of the prisms in prismatic structure are flat or irregular. Columnar structure occurs in arid climates where there is a higher concentration of sodium and salts in the soil.
There are five major classes of macrostructure seen in soils: platy, prismatic, columnar, granular, and blocky. There are also structureless conditions. Some soils have simple structure, each unit being an entity without component smaller units. Others have compound structure, in which large units are composed of smaller units separated by persistent planes of weakness. (Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils; pp. 2-53.)
For more information about describing and sampling soils, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/field...
or Chapter 3 of the Soil Survey manual:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/The-Soil-Su...
For additional information on "How to Use the Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils" (video reference), visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_hQaXV7MpM
Soil structure: Columnar structure
Columnar structure has vertically elongated units with rounded tops. Columnar soil structure looks very similar to prismatic structure, except the tops of the prisms in prismatic structure are flat or irregular. Columnar structure occurs in arid climates where there is a higher concentration of sodium and salts in the soil.
There are five major classes of macrostructure seen in soils: platy, prismatic, columnar, granular, and blocky. There are also structureless conditions. Some soils have simple structure, each unit being an entity without component smaller units. Others have compound structure, in which large units are composed of smaller units separated by persistent planes of weakness. (Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils; pp. 2-53.)
For more information about describing and sampling soils, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/field...
or Chapter 3 of the Soil Survey manual:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/The-Soil-Su...
For additional information on "How to Use the Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils" (video reference), visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_hQaXV7MpM