Morphology and particle size distribution in the soil profiles from a catena in Kerala

Abstract

Investigations on the morphology and mechanical composition were carried out in a toposequence located in the mid-upland laterite region of Kerala. The sequential profiles in the toposequence showed a striking gradation in colour from reddish in the crest to different shades of grey in the valley. The structural development showed a decrease down slope. Another significant observation was the striking decrease in the content of coarse fragments down the slope. Among the size fractions, sand tended to accumulate in the nearly level lower slope position, while clay fraction decreased down slope. The formation of the diverse group of soils have been attributed to the variations in topography, causing erosion colluviation, sedimentation and other pedogenic processes modified by water table.