Victorian Resources Online (archived)
Morton Series
The soil series is characterised by having a sporadically bleached A2 ‘subsurface horizon’, followed by brown to red subsoil. In the present survey, this series consists of the following soil type:
Morton Clay (MOc)
Profile Morphology:
Surface Soil (A1 horizon)
- 5-10 cm thick.
- Brown to dark greyish brown.
- Light to medium clay.
- Very hard (dry), friable to slightly friable (moist), plastic and sticky (wet).
Sub-Surface Soil (A2 horizon)
- 2-10 cm thick.
- Colours are slightly lighter than for A1 above and are sporadically bleached. Bleaching may occur only in nests at the interface between the A and B horizons.
- Soil texture and consistence are usually similar to those of the A1 horizon.
Subsoil
- Brown to dark reddish brown. At about 50-80 cm, the subsoil colours may become mottled and change to dominantly yellowish brown to yellowish red.
- Medium to heavy clay.
- Friable to slightly friable.
- Trace to slight amounts of soft and/or hard CaCO3. However, some profiles are lime-free throughout.
Analytical Data for Selected Depths Down the Profile:
Depth | pH | Total Soluble Salts | Sodium Chloride | Moisture Retention @ 15-Bar | Moisture Retention @ 1/3-Bar |
| . | . | % | % | % | % |
A | 7.7 | 0.044 | 0.009 | 11.3 | 20.8 |
B | 8.6 | 0.101 | 0.014 | 13.6 | 26.3 |
C | 8.9 | 0.218 | 0.086 | 18.8 | 36.6 |
Occurrence:
Morton clay is usually found on flat areas, slight depressions and areas subject to inundation.
