Glossic Horizon - Soil Geography of the USA: A Diagnostic-Horizon Approach - page 165

16.2 Properties of Soils with a Glossic Horizon

The surface and base of the glossic horizon from 79 pedons selected from the
540-pedon database occur at average depths of 32

16 cm and 56 25 cm,

respectively; 15 cm. The glossic horizon was

described as an E/Bt in 46 of 79 pedons, as a Bt/E in 25 pedons, and both were
observed in 13 pedons. The Bt portion of the glossic horizon was invariably one or
two textural classes finer than the E portion, and the E and Bt portions were
comparable to the E horizons above and the Bt horizon below. Clay films range
from few to many, are thin, and occur most commonly on ped faces; however, they
also line pores and root channels and bridge sand grains. The argillans are often
“glossy” or “waxy” in appearance. Clay-enriched nodules and seams were reported
in several pedons. Figure 16.1 is of a Dromedary soil series, classified as a loamy-
skeletal, mixed Mollic Haplocryalfs, from the Uinta Mountains in UT. The pedon
contains the following horizons: A (0-18 cm), E (18-33 cm), E/B (33-47 cm),
and Bt (47-90+ cm).
Pores generally are few to common and are very fine or fine in size. The pores are
most commonly tubular (55 %) but irregular pores were also reported. Interstitial

the average thickness is 24

Fig. 16.1 Dromedary soil
series, classified as a loamy-
skeletal, mixed Mollic
Haplocryalfs, from the
Uinta Mountains in Utah
(Photo by J. Bockheim).
The glossic horizon occurs
at a depth of 33-42 cm and
includes zones of E and Bt
materials