Soil morphology

Soil morphology is the field observable attributes of the soil within the various soil horizons and the description of the kind and arrangement of the horizons. C.F. Marbut championed reliance on soil morphology instead of on theories of pedogenesis for soil classification because theories of soil genesis are both ephemeral and dynamic.

The observable attributes ordinarily described in the field include the composition, form, soil structure and organization of the soil, color of the base soil and features such as mottling, distribution of roots and pores, evidence of translocated materials such as carbonates, iron, manganese, carbon and clay, and the consistence of the soil.

The observations are typically performed on a soil profile. A profile is a vertical cut, two-dimensional, in the soil and bounds one side of a pedon. The pedon is the smallest three-dimensional unit, but not less than 1 meter square on top, that captures the lateral range of variability.

Micromorphology