Albic Horizon - Soil Geography of the USA: A Diagnostic-Horizon Approach - page 84

10.7 Summary
The albic horizon is a diagnostic subsurface horizon that may occur at the surface in
some soils. Defined as an eluvial horizon, the albic horizon is 1 cm or more thick.
The albic horizon contains greater amounts of clay, extractable Fe and Al, CEC,
and base saturation and a lesser amount of SOC and lower pH and Al saturation than
the underlying in the illuvial horizon.
Less than 4 % of the soils in the USA contain an albic horizon, with Spodosols
accounting for approximately 82 % of these soils.
Aquic conditions appear to be a key factor in the development of albic horizons
in the Aqualfs, Aquods, and Aquults. The albic horizon originates from intense
leaching of clays and Fe oxyhydroxides, yielding a bleached ( bleicherd Ge.)
horizon with low chromas and values. In Albolls the albic horizon occurs beneath
a dark-colored, base-rich mollic epipedon, possibly from a change in climate that
resulted in conversion of deciduous forest into grassland vegetation with a mollic
epipedon forming in the upper part of the albic horizon.
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