Reference soil Spain 12: Eutric Vertisol

ES012

Distribution of Vertisols

A dark reddish brown, clayey profile, showing many prominent intersecting slickensides and wedge-shaped structural elements below 40 cm, overlying at 70 cm strongly calcareous clay mixed with fragments of weathered, greenish rock (e.g. diorite).

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988:

FAO-UNESCO 1974:

Molli-

Eutric Vertisol

Chromic Vertisol

0-0 cm calcic horizon
0-0 cm mollic A horizon
slickensides
weatherable minerals

0-0 cm calcic horizon
0-0 cm mollic A horizon
slickensides
weatherable minerals

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)

Typic

Xerert

USDA-SCS (1975)

Typic

Chromoxerert

clayey

montmorillonitic (calcareous)

thermic

Location:

Province of Badajoz, 4km NE of Merida

Physical

Particle size distribution:

Depth (cm)		Gravel (%)	Very Coarse Sand (%)	Coarse Sand (%)	Medium Sand (%)	Fine Sand (%)	Very Fine Sand (%)	Total Sand (%)	Coarse Silt (%)	Fine Silt (%)	Total Silt (%)	Clay (%)
0-15	:	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	12.5	16.4	28.9	56.1
15-35	:	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	12.1	16.5	28.6	57.6
35-55	:	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	10.9	17.4	28.3	58.2
65-85	:	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	7.2	7.2	14.4	77.6
0-	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
55-65	:	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	10.9	17.5	28.4	60

Other physical data

Depth (cm)		Bulk Density (kg/dm³)	Spec. Surf. Area (m2/g)	COLE (cm/cm)	Water Disp. Clay (%)	Clay (%)
0-15	:	-	-	-	-	56.1
15-35	:	-	-	-	-	57.6
35-55	:	-	-	-	-	58.2
65-85	:	-	-	-	-	77.6
0-	:	-	-	-	-	-
55-65	:	-	-	-	-	60

Chemical characteristics:

Depth (cm)		pH H2O	pH KCl	EC 1 : 2.5 (mS/cm)	CaCO3 (%)	Org. C (%)	Org. N (%)	C / N	Exch. Acid (cmol/kg)	Exch. Al (cmol/kg)	Ca (cmol/kg)	Mg (cmol/kg)	K (cmol/kg)	Na (cmol/kg)	Sum Cations (cmol/kg)
0-15	:	7.6	6.3	0.35	4.4	0.94	0.10	9	-	-	45.0	7.5	0.9	0.1	53.5
15-35	:	7.7	6.1	0.35	4.2	0.72	0.09	8	-	-	44.8	7.0	0.5	0.1	52.4
35-55	:	8.0	6.8	0.37	5.2	0.61	0.08	8	-	-	45.4	7.7	0.5	0.1	53.7
65-85	:	8.5	7.1	0.35	50.6	0.38	0.05	8	-	-	28.7	6.8	0.4	0.1	36
0-	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
55-65	:	8.1	6.9	0.54	20	0.54	0.05	11	-	-	40.6	8.4	0.4	0.1	49.5

Depth (cm)		CEC Soil (cmol/kg)	CEC Clay (cmol/kg)	CEC Org (cmol/kg)	ECEC (cmol/kg)	Base sat. (%)	Al sat. (%)	ESP (%)
0-15	:	67	119	3.3	-	80	-	-
15-35	:	67.5	117	2.5	-	78	-	-
35-55	:	68.5	118	2.1	-	78	-	-
65-85	:	43.4	56	1.3	-	83	-	-
0-	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
55-65	:	59.3	99	1.9	-	83	-	-

Depth (cm)		pH NaF	P Retention (%)	ODOE	Melanic Index	Fe o (wt%)	Al o (wt%)	Si o (wt%)	Fe d (wt%)	Al d (wt%)	Fe p (wt%)	Al p (wt%)	C p (wt%)
0-15	:	-	-	-	-	0.2	0.24	0.1	2.1	0.13	0	0.01	-
15-35	:	-	-	-	-	0.19	0.24	0.1	2.18	0.13	0	0.01	-
35-55	:	-	-	-	-	0.28	0.33	0.1	2.15	0.26	0.07	0.11	-
65-85	:	-	-	-	-	0.13	0.17	0.1	1.13	0.06	0.05	0.1	-
0-	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
55-65	:	-	-	-	-	0.22	0.28	0.1	1.84	0.16	0.05	0.08	-

Elemental composition of the soil:

Depth (cm)		SiO2 (wt%)	Al2O3 (wt%)	Fe2O3 (wt%)	CaO (wt%)	MgO (wt%)	K2O (wt%)	Na2O (wt%)	TiO2 (wt%)
0-15	:	61.9	15.4	7.8	3.6	0.5	1.0	-	1.2
15-35	:	61.3	15.6	7.8	3.5	0.5	1.0	-	1.1
35-55	:	60.2	15.7	7.8	4.4	0.5	1.0	-	1.1
65-85	:	47.1	13.2	6.9	15.2	0.6	0.80	-	0.8
0-	:	24.3	8.6	5.2	30.9	-	0.40	-	0.3
55-65	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Elemental composition of the soil:

Depth (cm)		MnO2 (wt%)	P2O5 (wt%)	LOI (wt%)	SiO2 / Al2O3 (mol/mol)	SiO2 / Fe2O3 (mol/mol)	SiO2 / R (mol/mol)	Al2O3 / Fe2O3 (mol/mol)
0-15	:	0.10	0.10	6.7	6.8	21.1	5.2	3.1
15-35	:	0.10	0.10	6.8	6.7	20.9	5.1	3.1
35-55	:	0.10	0.10	6.8	6.5	20.5	4.9	3.2
65-85	:	0.10	0.10	14.2	6.1	18.2	4.5	3.0
0-	:	0	0.30	28.0	4.8	12.4	3.5	2.6
55-65	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy:

Depth (cm)		Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Vermiculite	Chlorite	Smec	Halloysite	Mixed layer	Quar	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Hematite
0-15	:	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	-	very strong	-	strong	weak to medium	-	-	-	-
15-35	:	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	-	strong	weak to medium	-	-	-	-
35-55	:	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	-	strong	weak to medium	-	-	-	-
65-85	:	very weak to weak	-	-	-	very strong	-	strong	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-
0-	:	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	-	strong	weak to medium	-	-	-	-
55-65	:	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Profile description:

Ap 0-12 cm	:	(2.5YR 3/3, moist), clay, crumb and weak subangular blocky, hard very friable very sticky very plastic, abrupt smooth boundary to,
Ahi 12-55 cm	:	(2.5YR 3/3, moist), clay, moderate fine angular blocky, slickensides cutans,
Bi 55-70 cm	:	(2.5YR 3/3, moist), clay, moderate fine angular blocky, slickensides cutans,
cm	:	clay, calcareous concretions, pieces diorite fragments,

The main parent rock/ material over which the soil has been formed (1st entry)
Mode of Accumulation or deposition of parent material (1st entry)	unconsolidated, unspecified
Texture of parent material (1st entry)	clayey
Depth1 of lithological boundary	70 cm
The main parent rock/ material over which the soil has been formed (2nd entry)	igneous rock
Mode of Accumulation or deposition of parent material (2nd entry)	residual material
Texture of parent material (2nd entry)	clayey
Resistance against weathering (solid rock) (2nd entry)
Soil Depth; depth to which roots can easily penetrate throughout the year	cm
Remarks on Parent Materials	Miocene clays

Current land use at the site	arable farming
Major crops
Main type of irrigation
Rotation scheme
Vegetation Type;The natural vegetation at the site
Status of vegetation

The altitude of the soil profile relative to mean sea level, specified in meters	260 m asl
Regional landform	hill
Topography of the surrounding country	undulating
Physiographic Unit in the immediate surrounding of the site	midslope
The slope refers to the inclination of the land immediately surrounding the site. The measured or estimated slope angle is specified to the nearest per cent	0 %
The physiographic position of the site where the profile is located	lower slope
Form of the slope surrounding the site
Slope Aspect of the site

Depth of groundwater table	cm
Groundwater Top	cm
Groundwater Bottom	cm
Kind of groundwater table	no groundwater table observed
Top Stagnating Layer	cm
Bottom Stagnating Layer	cm
Estimated permeablity (class) of least permeable part of the profile
Drainage Class	moderately well
To Drainage Class
Moisture conditions of the profile: dry from -to	0-12 cm
Moisture conditions of the profile: moist from -to	12 cm
Wet From - To	cm

Microrelief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site
Microrelief Height
Rockiness	none
Stoniness	none
Average size of stones
Shape of stones (on average)
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost
Evidence of salt	non-saline
Evidence of alkali	non-alkaline

Soil erosion type (1st entry)
Occurrence of soil aggradation
Slope Stability

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Reference soil Spain 12: Eutric Vertisol