Brief description[1] of the ADP test lane soil characteristics

 

  • Lane 1
    • Soil type : Sand
    • Colour: Clean white
    • Composition: Quartz + feldspate. No dark minerals. Well washed, fairly well sorted. Small to medium grain size. No natural layering
    • Origin: area 30 km north of Maputo
  • Lane 2
    • Soil type: Sand
    • Colour: Med red
    • Composition: Quartz & feldspate
    • Grain size: small to medium
    • Layering: Definite, light layer at the top, red at the bottom. According to D.Guelle, the soil was uniformly red when the lane was established
    • Origin: Moamba
  • Lane 3
    • Soil type: Sand
    • Colour: Med red
    • Composition: Quartz, feldspate, schists, organic material
    • Grain size: small to medium
    • Origin: Moamba
  • Lane 4
    • See description of Lane 5 but less clay 5% + small grain size (<1mm)
  • Lane 5
    • Black soil
    • Forms “clay” crack when dry. Highest clay content (15-20%)
    • Contains fragments of weathered rock appearing to be igneous. Showing med grain size – typical granite composition (2mm)
    • Origin: Moamba
  • Lane 6
    • Colour: Red soil – ferri oxides
    • Composition/characteristics: yields “clay” cracks when dry. Large fragment (15mm) of quartz. Poorly sorted.
    • Grain size: small grain size.
    • Origin: Moamba
  • Lane 7
    • Red soil – ferri oxides
    • Rubble – not sorted, rounded at all
    • Consists mainly of fragments of weathered riolyte volcanic rocks.
    • No obvious grain size
    • Origin: Namaacha

 


[1] Description courtesy STEMD project, May 2005