Hydric Soil Identification Techniques - Wetland Techniques - page 235

Fig. 4.4 Picture of a color chart in the Munsell ™ Soil Color Chart (GretagMacbeth 2009 )

in well drained soils Fe oxides usually give soils a yellow, orange, or red color. In
soils that are saturated for extended periods, Fe oxides are reduced. The reduced
(ferrous) form of Fe is easily removed from the soil by leaching. After the Fe is gone,
generally the leached area has a grayish or whitish color. Repeated cycles of satura-
tion and drying create a mottled soil (splotches of color(s) in a matrix of a different
color). Part of the soil is gray because of the loss of Fe, and part is red or yellow where
the Fe oxides remain.
Therefore, the ability to correctly identify and document soil colors and patterns
of soil colors is critical to wetland investigations. Soil scientists rely on the Munsell
System of Color Notation in part because it is standardized. The Munsell System
includes the entire visible color spectrum using three components: hue, value, and
chroma. Colors most commonly found in soils are arranged in topics of color chips
(Munsell

soil color charts is presented
in Fig. 4.4 . Soil is held next to the chips (or better yet, underneath) to find a visual
match and assigned the corresponding Munsell ™ notation. The notation is recorded
in the form: hue, value/chroma - for example, 5Y 6/3. All color chips correspond to
an English name in the Munsell

Soil Color Charts). One of the Munsell

™ ™

Soil Color Charts. An example color would be
10YR 4/6, which is called dark yellowish brown . 10YR, or 10 yellow-red, is the
hue. Four is the value and 6 is the chroma. 10YR means that there are ten parts
yellow to one part red.

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