Tongue in Spodosol

Tongue in Podzol

Here is an example of a Spodosol from California. It is found on the Mendocino coast of northern California. It is one of the very few Spodosols and it is a very special one. The upper portion of the profile is an A horizon. Below it is a thick E horizon. Note the tongue of E horizon that is penetrating into the lower portion of the profile. The tongue may have formed around a root or some other irregularity in the profile that allowed water to leach more iron from the tongue area than from surrounding areas. Below the E horizon is a thin, platy, strongly cemented Bs horizon. Some of the platy structure is clearly seen on either side of the tongue just below the E horizon. This soil is unique in California because it is old, severely leached of nutrients and poorly drained because of the iron-cemented hardpan (the ortstein). This combination of characteristics has led to a unique vegetation endemic to the soil.

Click here to return to the index by lecture

Click here to return to the index by profile