Soil can display a wide range of colors including brown, red, yellow, black, gray, white, and even blue or green, and vary dramatically across landscapes, between the various horizons of a soil profile, and even within a single clod of soil.

Red, brown, yellow, yellowish-red, grayish-brown, and pale red are all good descriptive colors of soil, but not very exact. Just as paint stores have pages of color chips, soil scientists use a book of color chips that follow the Munsell System of Color Notation (www.munsell.com).

Identify major factors contributing to soil color; Outline how to use a munsell soil color book; Use the soil color to potential challenges to management for a given use

Soil color refers to the visual appearance of soil, which is used to identify and differentiate specific soil properties. It is determined by three main components: hue (resemblance to red or yellow), value (relative darkness and lightness), and chroma (weak or strong color appearance).

Maps that show soil color at various depths for individual States and the Continental United States. Download images or animated gif files of the soil color maps. Download georeferenced tif files at 30 m resolution for use with GIS software.

(iv) Soil colour is an indicator of the soil moisture regimes under which a soil was developed. When a dry soil becomes moist, soil colours become darker by 1/2 to 3 steps in value, may change from – 1/2 to +2 steps in chroma and there is seldom change of hue.

May 29, 2020 · Soil color can be a useful tool for correctly identifying your soil and can be an important indicator of soil health. Soil color is linked to mineral composition, soil fertility, soil organic matter , and more.

Several forces, which soil scientists call the “factors of soil formation”, influence soil color. These include climate, parent material (sediment or rock that soil forms in), biology, landscape position, time that a soil body has been forming, and human activity.

Color is typically the first distinguishing feature that people notice when looking at soils. Soil color is often used to identify soil horizons. Color can provide important clues about processes that are or have been operative in the soil.

Soil color reflects environmental conditions, soil forming processes, and other influences on the soil. It generally indicates the status of organic matter and moisture, drainage, and the state of oxidation and reduction.