34 Black, grey and brown gradational (earth) soils on Quaternary alluvium

These soils are found on Quaternary alluvium or colluvium, mainly in low-lying areas such as swamps or terraces between the basic volcanic plains and sedimentary plains terrain, as well as within those terrain types.

These soils have organic surface soils which may be quite deep (30–40 cm) and may have high clay contents making them similar to the (vertic) cracking clay soils (Soil Group 31). Some soils may have shallow marine deposits (shell fragments) underlying them (CLRA1). These soils are often deep (>150 cm) with structured clay with vertic (shrink-swell) properties. An A2 horizon may be present but is generally not bleached. Most soils are not sodic even in the lower subsoil.

Notable characteristics are a gradational profile, which may have medium or heavy textures, surface soils are generally friable and soils generally are deep.

Soil Sites

Site Code	Soil-landform unit	Component	ASC	FK	1:100 000 mapsheet
CLRA1	194	Flat	Melanic, Eutrophic, Grey Dermosol, Vertosol	Gn3.93, Ug5.28	T7721 - Geelong
CLRA15	73	Flat	Haplic, Self-Mulching, Black Vertosol	Ug5.16	T7621 - Colac
OTR733	63	Terrace crest	Melanic, Eutrophic, Black Kandosol	Gn2.02	T7721 - Geelong
SW23	160	Terrace	Acidic, Mesotrophic, Brown Dermosol	Gn3.04	T7520 - Princetown
SW39	200	Flat	Melacic (& Vertic), Eutrophic, Black Dermosol	Gn3.41	T7521 - Corangamite
SW57	165	Flat	Humose, Dermosolic, Redoxic Hydrosol	Gn3.91	T7520 - Princetown
SW58	165	Flat	Humose, Kurosolic, Redoxic Hydrosol	Dy3.11	T7520 - Princetown
SW62	159	Flat	Humose-Acidic, Tenosolic, Redoxic Hydrosol	Uc4	T7520 - Princetown