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SOIL CLASSIFICATION—A DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
Author(s) -
JONES T. A.
Publication year - 1959
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1959.tb02342.x
Subject(s) - modal , soil horizon , criticism , computer science , soil science , calculus (dental) , data mining , soil water , environmental science , materials science , medicine , art , literature , dentistry , polymer chemistry
Summary Attention is drawn to the theoretical and practical errors associated with the use of the profile as the working tool of soil classification. It is claimed that the planar characteristics of the profile are fundamentally inappropriate for depicting the four‐dimensional qualities of soil. The concept of the modal profile is discussed, in particular its role in encouraging a ‘calculus’ approach to a soil classification constructed from an infinite number of finite units. It is suggested that a workable system of soil classification will be possible only by adopting some new approach completely free of the basic defects of the ‘soil‐profile’ approach.