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Comments and Letters to the Editor
Author(s) -
Hanks R. J.,
Tanner C. B.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1972.03615995003600030047x
Subject(s) - library science , biometeorology , citation , computer science , history , archaeology , canopy
The Soil Conservation Service is revising the Soil Survey Manual, Agriculture Handbook no. 18 (1951), and the May 1962 supplement to Agriculture Handbook no. 18, Identification and Nomenclature of Soil Horizons. The new manual is being issued, in draft form, one chapter at a time as each is ready. After all the chapters have been issued, they will be combined and published as the new Soil Survey Manual. Chapter 4, "Examination and Description of Soils in the Field," was issued in May 1981. In Chapter 4, pages 39-51, is a section on "Designations for horizons and layers," which replaces the May 1962 supplement. Certain designations and conventions for using them have been changed or definitions modified to conform as closely as possible to other systems that are commonly referenced internationally. The following is a synoptic comparison between the old (1962) and new (1981) designations for soil horizons and layers: 1) The purpose of using designations remains unchanged. They reflect the describer's interpretations of the genetic relationships between the layers in a soil. 2) Capital letters, lowercase letters, and Arabic numerals are used to form the horizon designators.