Reference soil China 15: Arenosol

CN015

Arenosols occur over large areas in Africa, central and western Australia, the Middle East and central China. Smaller areas are found along coastlines all over the world.

Characteristics

Soils with a loamy sand or coarser texture either to a depth of at least 100 cm from the soil surface, or to a (petro-)plinthic or salic horizon between 50 and 100 cm from the soil surface. They contain less than 35 percent (by volume) rock fragments or other coarse fragments within 100 cm from the soil surface and have no diagnostic horizons other than an ochric, yermic or albic horizon, a (petro-)plinthic or salic horizon below 50 cm from the soil surface, or an argic or spodic horizon below 200 cm below the soil surface.

Distribution of Arenosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CN015: Arenosols

Very deep, somewhat excessively drained, very pale brown fine sand. Strongly tilted stratification is clearly visible from about 15 cm and deeper; thin layers are differentiated from each other by colour and granulometric differences. About 10-20% of the sand grains consist of dark coloured grains. HYDROLOGY: depth of ground water level is more than 10 m / VEGETATION: the semi-fixed sand dunes have a 10% (or less) vegetational coverage consisting mainly of Aristida, Haloxylon, Calligonum, Echinopsilon and Alhagia

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Protic- Arenosol (Eutric Aridic)

Proti-Aridic- Arenosol (Eutric)

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Proto-Haplic Arenosol

Eutric Regosol

Local classification:	Haplic blown sand soil; Aridi-Sandic Primosol
Common name:	Dune sand

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Torripsamment
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Torripsamment torric mixed mesic

More images

Physical characteristics

Particle size distribution

Depth (cm)	Gravel % v/v	very coarse sand % w/w	coarse sand % w/w	medium sand % w/w	fine sand % w/w	very fine sand % w/w	Total sand % w/w	coarse silt % w/w	fine silt % w/w	Total silt % w/w	Clay % w/w
0-50	-	0.0	0.0	1.0	63.4	31.5	95.9	0.5	0.9	1.4	2.6
50-100	-	0.0	0.0	0.7	57.0	38.3	96	0.5	0.7	1.2	2.8

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
10-15	1.596	-	-	-	-
0-50	-	-	-	-	2.6
50-100	-	-	-	-	2.8
60-65	1.620	-	-	-	-

Other physical data

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	pF 0 % v/v	pF 1.0 % v/v	pF 1.5 % v/v	pF 2.0 % v/v	pF 2.3 % v/v	pF 2.7 % v/v	pF 3.4 % v/v	pF 4.2 % v/v
10-15	1.596	41.1	39.6	38.2	10.6	6.2	5.6	2.4	2.6
60-65	1.620	41.2	39.5	38.1	11.2	6.4	5.8	2.8	2.6

Chemical data

Depth (cm)	pH H2O	pHKCl	EC 1: 2.5 dS/m	CaCO3 % w/w	C % w/w	N %	C / N	Exch. Acid cmol(c)/kg	Exch. Al cmol(c)/kg	Ca cmol(c)/kg	Mg cmol(c)/kg	K cmol(c)/kg	Na cmol(c)/kg	Sum Cations cmol(c)/kg
0-50	8.9	8.2	0.18	0.8	0.03	-	-	-	-	20.0	1.0	0.2	0.8	22
50-100	9.0	8.3	0.27	0.9	0.02	-	-	-	-	20.0	1.0	0.2	0.1	21.3

Depth (cm)	Base sat. %	CEC soil cmol(c)/kg	CEC clay cmol(c)/kg	CEC org cmol(c)/kg	ECEC cmol(c)/kg	Al sat. %	ESP %
0-50	-	2.1	81	0.1	-	-	38
50-100	-	2.3	82	0.1	-	-	4

Depth (cm)	pH NaF	P Retention %	ODOE	Al o % w/w	Si o % w/w	Fe d % w/w	Al d % w/w	Fe p % w/w	Al p % w/w	C p % w/w	Fe o % w/w
0-50	-	-	-	0.00	0.00	0.40	0.00	-	-	-	0.00
50-100	-	-	-	0.00	0.00	0.30	0.00	-	-	-	0.00

Profile description

C 0-150 cm

very pale brown (10YR 8/3, moist)fine sand,structureless single grain,loose non sticky non plastic,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	sediment, unconsolidated
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	eolian sand
Remarks on Parent Materials	sand dune
Soil Depth	200cm
Texture of parent material	sandy

Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	(semi-)natural vegetation
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: 10% or less cover, consisting mainly of Aristida, Haloxylon, Calligonum, Echinopsilon and Alhagia
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	grassland

Altitude	500m
Physiographic Unit	Junggar Desert; semi-fixed sand dunes
Physiographic position of the site	middle slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	dune field
Slope	45%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	somewhat excessive
Dry From - To	0-150cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Depth to groundwater table	1000cm
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	groundwater table observed
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none

You are here

Reference soil China 15: Arenosol

Characteristics

Reference soil CN015: Arenosols

Classification