University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Plant, Soil & Entomological Sciences Soil & Land Resources
Home
Soil Orders
Maps
Soil Links
  Gelisols    Histosols    Spodosols    Andisols    Oxisols    Vertisols    Aridisols    Ultisols    Mollisols    Alfisols    Inceptisols    Entisols

Vertisols

(University of Idaho photo)
>> view larger version of this image
>> how to save images

 

 example 6

surface cracks in Vertisol
Utah

The high capacity of Vertisols for shrink-swell creates the large cracks found in these soils (note film box for scale). These cracks can be wide enough to make the terrain treacherous for animals. Surface material accumulates in these cracks during the dry season and is "swallowed" by the soil in the wet season, creating the self-mixing action of Vertisols.
<< back to Soil Orders list next example >> 
  Examples:
1. Typic Hapludert
Texas
2. Udic Haplustert
Puerto Rico
3. Udic Haplustert
southcentral Texas
4. Epiaquert landscape
southern Idaho
5. Xeric Epiaquert
southern Idaho
6. surface cracks in Vertisol
Utah
7. Vertisol slickensides
8. cracked wall on Vertisol
9. gilgai relief on Vertisol landscape South Dakota
If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions about the 12 Soil Orders web site,
please contact Dr. Paul McDaniel  at the Soil Science Division,
University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2339.