Soil

Colour
 Soil Colour
Color is often the most obvious characteristic of a soil. Although color
itself has little effect on the behavior and use of soils, it does provide
clues about other soil properties and conditions.

Soils display a wide range of reds, browns, yellows, and even greens
(Figure 4.2). Some soils are nearly black, others nearly white. Some soil
colors are very bright, others are dull grays. Soil colors may vary from
place to place in the landscape (see catena in Figure 2.34) as well as
with depth through the various layers (horizons) within a soil prof il e
(see Figure 3.34), or even within a single horizon or clod of soil (Figure
4.2). When making f ie ld soil descriptions, it is worth noting that
horizons in a given prof il e that differ in chroma and value are often
similar in hue
Examples of some red,
orange, brown, gray,
and blue soil colors
derived from various
i ro n m i ne ral s and
influenced by oxidation
state. Scale marked in
mm.
 Soil Colour
Description
To obtain the precise, repeatable description of colours needed for soil
classif ication and interpretation, soil scientists compare a small piece
of soil to standard color chips in special Munsell color charts. The
Munsell charts use color chips arranged according to the three
components of how people see color: the hue (in soils, usually redness
or yellowness), the value (lightness or darkness, a value of 0 being
black), and the chroma (intensity or brightness, a chroma of 0 being
neutral gray). In a Munsell color book (Figure), color chips are arranged
on pages with values increasing from the bottom to the top, and the
chromas increasing from left to right, while hues change from one
page to another.
A page from the Munsell color book
showing the colors of 2.5YR Hue present
in soils. The color of the soil clod being
he l d be hi nd t he pa ge i s c l o se st t o
outlined color chip designated 2.5YR4/4.
The 2.5YR stands for the hue or pigment
(reddish brown), the 4/ indicates the
degree of lightness or darkness, going
from near black of low values near the
bottom of the page to near-white of high
values near the top. The /4 designates
the chroma column or brightness of the
color, going from near grayscale at the
spine of the book very bright intense
colors near the outer edge of the page.
The c o l o r name “re d d i sh bro wn“ i s HueValue/chroma
applied to a group of four color chips as
shown on the facing page (left). 2.5YR4/4 reddish brown
 Factors influence soil
colors
Three major factors influence soil colors are:
1) Organic matter content,
2) Water content, and
3) The presence and oxidation states of iron and manganese oxides in
various minerals.
 Colour
interpretations
Soils, with their distinctive colors, are important aesthetic components
of the landscape.
For example, warm, reddish colors are characteristic of many tropical
and subtropical landscapes, while dark grays and browns typify cooler,
more temperate regions.

Organic matter tends to coat mineral particles, darkening and masking

the brighter colors of the minerals themselves.
Direct effect of water on soil colour:
Soils are generally darker (have low color value) when wet than when dry.
Indirect effects of water on soil colour:
Water content has a more profound indirect effects on soil colors.
 It inf luences the level of oxygen in the soil, and thereby the rate of
organic matter accumulation which darkens the soil.
 Water also affects the oxidation state of iron and manganese. In
well-drained uplands, especially in warm climates, well-oxidized
iron compounds impart bright (high chroma) reds and browns to
the soil.
 Other minerals that influence soil color include
 manganese oxide (black) and
 glauconite (green).

In dry regions, calcite and soluble salts impart a whitish color to many soils.

Reduced iron compounds impart to poorly drained soil prof il es may

exhibit gray and bluish colors (low chroma). Under prolonged anaerobic
conditions, reduced iron (which is far more soluble than oxidized iron) is
removed from particle coatings, often exposing the light gray colors of
the underlying silicate minerals. Soil exhibiting gray colors from reduced
iron and iron depletion is said to be gleyed.

If sulfur is present under anaerobic conditions, iron sulf ides may color the
soil black regardless of the organic matter level.
 Soil
Aeration
 Soil
air

Compositio
n
Importanc
e
 Soil
Aeration
In order for plant roots and other soil organisms to readily carry on
respiration, the soil must be well ventilated. Good ventilation allows the
exchange of gases between the soil and the atmosphere to supply
enough oxygen (O2) while preventing the potentially toxic accumulation
of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2 ), methane (CH4 ), and ethylene
(C2H6). Soil aeration status involves the rate of such ventilation, as well
as the proportion of pore spaces f illed with air, the composition of that
soil air, and the resulting chemical oxidation or reduction potential in
the soil environment.
 Soil
Temperature
 Albedo

The fraction of incident radiation that is ref lected by the land surface is
termed the albedo.

Albedo Soils
as low as
dark-colored, rough soil surfaces
0.1–0.2
as high as
for smooth, light-colored surfaces
0.5 or more
Importanc
e
 Diurnal
fluctuation
 Annual
fluctuation