Name: Macarimban, Issha Kaye P.

Date Performed: September 27, 2020

Section/Group No.: U5L/ Group 3 Date Submitted: September 29, 2020

EXERCISE 1. THE ORIGIN OF SOILS

PART 2. THE SOIL PROFILE AND COMMON PARENT MATERIALS
WORKSHEET 1.2.1. Field Study of Soil Profile

Soil Series Name LIPA CLAY LOAM

Depth Horizon/Layer Description*

COLOR 2.5YR 3/2 SHAPE Single-grained
FEEL Gritty ROOTS Yes
0-7 CLUSTERIN Yes SIZE Medium
G
SIZE Fine NUMBER Many

COLOR 2.5YR 4/2 SHAPE Spherical

8-32 FEEL Sticky ROOTS Yes
CLUSTERIN Yes SIZE Fine and Medium
G
SIZE Medium NUMBER Common

33-53 COLOR 2.5YR 4/3 SHAPE Spherical

FEEL Sticky ROOTS Yes
CLUSTERIN Yes SIZE Fine
G
SIZE Medium NUMBER Few

>53 COLOR 2.5YR 6/4 SHAPE Cube-like

FEEL Sticky ROOTS Yes
CLUSTERIN Yes SIZE Fine
G
SIZE Medium NUMBER Few

*Color: Use the Revised Standard Soil Color Charts

Approximate feel: gritty, smooth or floury, sticky Clustering
(aggregation) of particles:
Size: small, medium, large
Shape: spherical, cube-like, columnar, single-grained, massive
Presence of roots
Size: fine, medium, large
Number: few, common, many
How do the following profile features change with increasing depth?

a) Soil color

As we go down the soil profile, the soil color becomes lighter due to the
decreasing amount of organic matter.

b) Soil feel (texture)

The soil texture of the surface layer is gritty but becomes sticky in the
lower horizons.

c) Soil clusters (soil aggregation)

As we go down the soil profile, the soil becomes more clustered.

d) Presence of roots (size and number)

The size of the roots and its number decreases with increasing depth.
WORKSHEET 1.2.2. Mineral Samples

Distinguishing Chemical Potential Contribution

Mineral
Property* Composition* to Soil**
1. Biotite - has a perfect unidirectional A complex silicate of K, Fe, - Contributes Potassium
cleavage. Al, and Mg; variable and clay to the soil
- fuses with difficulty to, soluble composition, approximately,
only in heated and K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3010(0H)2
concentrated sulfuric acid.

2. Calcite - prominent rhombohedral Calcium Carbonate (CaCo)3 - Exchangeable Carbon.

cleavage in most varieties, high Carbonate, and non-acid soil
reactivity to acids, and materials
effervesces readily in cold
dilute of HCl
3. Dolomite - compact, saccharoidal Calcium Magnesium - Exchangeable Carbon.
masses; has a weak reaction to Carbonate (CaMg(Co3)2 Carbonate, Magnesium, and
cold, diluted HCl, but coarse non-acid soil materials
crystals will not effervesce
readily in hot acid.

*refer to Appendix 1.2.3A & Study Guide on Rocks and Minerals

**refer to Appendix 1.2.3B & Study Guide on Rocks and Minerals
WORKSHEET 1.2.2 (con’t). Mineral Samples
 Distinguishing Chemical Potential Contribution
Mineral
Property* Composition* to Soil**

4. Hematite - brownish red streak Ferric iron Oxide (Fe2O3) - contributes Fe to the soil

5. Quartz - transparent to opaque and Silicon Oxide (SiO2) - contributes sand materials
exhibits conchoidal fracture to the soi

*refer to Appendix 1.2.3A & Study Guide on Rocks and Minerals

**refer to Appendix 1.2.3B & Study Guide on Rocks and Minerals
WORKSHEET 1.2.3. Rock Samples
 Major Mineral Potential Contribution
Rock Name Distinguishing Property
Components to Soil*

IGNEOUS ROCKS
1. Basalt - dark and smooth, has fine texture, - Feldspars (50%) - contributes to the fine
sometimes glassy and Ferromagnesian texture and high pH of soil
minerals (50%)

2. Andesite - light and has a fine texture - Feldspars (75%) - neutral material
and Ferromagnesian
minerals (25%)

3. Granite - pale and speckled, coarse-textured - Feldspars (50%), - makes the soil acidic
quartz (30%) and and may add some more
ferromagnesian rapidly weathering
minerals (20%) pockets at higher pH.

*refer to Appendix 1.2.4

** refer to Study Guide on Rocks and Minerals

WORKSHEET 1.2.3. Rock Samples

Major Potential
Rock Name Distinguishing
Mineral Contribution to Soil*
Property
Components
SEDIMENTARY
ROCKS
1. Shale
- Has many different colors, with - Clay minerals, quartz - contributes to the fine
layered structure, and cleavage planes and sometimes organic texture of the soil
matter depending on the
minerals present

2. Limestone - White to gray or pale reddish/ - contains Calcite or - may affect the pH of
brownish/yellowish in color Dolomite; sometimes the soil; contains high
organic matter calcium and/or
magnesium as
carbonates or
exchangeable cations.

*refer to Appendix 1.2.4

** refer to Study Guide on Rocks and Minerals

Major Potential Contribution

Distinguishing Mineral to Soil*
Rock Name Property Components
METAMORPHIC
ROCKS**
1. Gneiss - alternating light and dark bands - Feldspar, Mica - make the soil acidic
depending mineral composition

2. Marble - could be very white or variously - Calcite - acts as an acid-

parched with green, gray, brown and red neutralizing agent in soils
- has a granoblastic texture grading into
diablastic, nematoblastic, and
poikiloblastic.

*refer to Appendix 1.2.4 *

* refer to Study Guide on Rocks and Minerals
WORKSHEET 1.

2.4. Parent Material

Characteristics
Soil Parent Recognizable
(color, feel, pH,
Material Soil Layers
reaction to dilute HCl)
1. Binangonan Limestone Ap Dark brown, gritty, pH
– young 7.4, effervesced quickly

pH = 7.4 A Light brown, gritty, pH

7.4, effervesced quickly

BC Brown, gritty, pH 7.4,

effervesced quickly

Ap1 Light brown, gritty, pH 6.3,

Volcanic no reaction

2. Lipa – Tuff Ap2

Brown, gritty, pH 6.3, no
matured reaction

B Brown, gritty, pH 6.3, no

pH = 6.3 reaction

Reddish brown, floury, pH

BC
6.3, no reaction

C Light brown, floury, pH 6.3,

no reaction
Ap Dark brown, gritty, pH 4.5,
effervesced slowly
Limestone
3. Tacdian – Bt1 Reddish brown, gritty, pH
old 4.5, effervesced slowly

Bt2 Light brown, gritty, pH 4.5,

pH = 4.5 effervesced slowly

BC Reddish brown, floury, pH

4.5, effervesced slowly

R Brown, floury, pH 4.5,

effervesced slowly
Which of the parent materials showed a reaction to dilute HCl? Why?

Soils which had Limestone as their parent material were highly

reactive to the diluted HCl due to the presence of carbonate minerals.

Compare the pH of the three soils. How does the following statement
apply to the observed pH of the three soil samples: “Time nullifies the
effect of the mineral composition of the parent material on soil
properties”

The soil from Binangonan has a pH of 7.4, Tacdian has pH level of 6.3
whereas the Lipa soil has a pH level of 4.5. From these we can
conclude that as the soil ages, it becomes more and more acidic.

In relation to the statement, we can say that time removed the

neutralizing property of limestone and increased the acidity of the soil.
As mentioned in the appendices attached, limestone acts as a neutral
component in the soil but as time passed and possibly several
decomposition, leaching, and other chemical reactions later, this effect
of limestone to the soil was nullified.