GT-0509 · Entisol
La Pasión River Entisol
A newly arrived soil, layer upon layer.
Soil profile
Tap a horizon to see its details.
A0–14 cm
A thin surface, barely darkened by roots.
- Munsell colour
- 10YR 4/3
- Texture
- Silt loam
C114–50 cm
A flood layer, with fine laminae still visible.
- Munsell colour
- 10YR 5/4
- Texture
- Sandy loam
C250–95 cm
Coarser sand from a larger flood.
- Munsell colour
- 10YR 6/3
- Texture
- Loamy sand
C395–140 cm
Fine silt deposited in still water.
- Munsell colour
- 2.5Y 7/3
- Texture
- Silt loam
Every time the river overflows, it leaves a new layer of sand and mud, like the layers of a cake. This soil is a baby, it has just been born!
Entisols are the youngest soils. They have not had time to form horizons; what you see are sediment layers left by the river in different floods. Their fertility depends on the material that arrives with each flood.
Core idea: sedimentation is not the same as soil formation. Activity: shake soil and water in a bottle and watch sand, silt and clay settle. Links to the water cycle and watersheds.
Typic Udifluvent with visible stratification and an irregular distribution of organic carbon with depth. No subsurface diagnostic horizons. High base saturation; frequent flooding risk and a fluctuating water table below 120 cm.
- USDA Soil Taxonomy
- Typic Udifluvent
- WRB 2022
- Eutric Fluvisol (Loamic)
See the scientific data
Analytical data by horizon
| Horizon | Depth (cm) | Munsell colour | Texture | pH (H₂O) | O.M. % | CEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 0–14 | 10YR 4/3 | Silt loam | 7.1 | 2.2 | 19 |
| C1 | 14–50 | 10YR 5/4 | Sandy loam | 7.4 | 0.8 | 13 |
| C2 | 50–95 | 10YR 6/3 | Loamy sand | 7.6 | 0.4 | 9 |
| C3 | 95–140 | 2.5Y 7/3 | Silt loam | 7.7 | 0.6 | 12 |
CEC: cmol(+)/kg
- 7.1A
- 7.4C1
- 7.6C2
- 7.7C3
- 2.2A
- 0.8C1
- 0.4C2
- 0.6C3
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