Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils

NOTE:  This version corrects minor errors in the original 1998 version 1.1 and substantially updates the contents based on related source documents.  Please discard copies of any earlier version.  Additional upgrades can and will occur that will replace all or part of this document.  Minor upgrades will have a new date at the bottom of each updated page.  Major upgrades will also have a different version number.  Users are responsible for the prompt and correct application of the most current information.

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Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils v2.0 (PDF; 1.5 MB)

Foreword

Acknowledgments
 

How to obtain hard copies of the Field Book

The Field Book is no longer in publication and hard copies are not available. For a copy of the field book, please download the PDF document.
 

The Present Science and Art of Soil Description

This information comes from the Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils by Schoeneberger, Wysocki, Benham, and Broderson, 2002. The printed Field Book is published on 4"x7" waterproof paper in a six-ring, loose-leaf binder similar to those used for Color Books. The major sections address Site Description, Soil Profile Description, and Geomorphology, with additional information in sections on Geology, Soil Taxonomy, Locations, Field Sampling, and Miscellaneous topics such as conversion of units. The Field Book is also tabbed for quick, easy reference.