Buried soil.—A soil profile having one or more genetic horizons that is covered with a surface mantle of new soil material 50 cm or more thick. In essence, two soils are present—a new soil in the mantle and an older soil below that formed before the mantle was deposited. Special rules are given in chapter 4 of the Keys to Soil Taxonomysurface mantle of new soil material. A surface mantle of new soil material is a layer of “naturally deposited mineral material” that is largely unaltered, at least in the lower part. Since human-transported material it is not “naturally deposited”, it does not meet the technical definition of a “mantle of new soil material” even though buried.
Figure 20.—Examples of buried soils.
Left photo (natural deposition): The Atiras series (mixed, hyperthermic Typic Ustipsamments) consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained, rapidly permeable soils that formed in sandy eolian deposits of Holocene age over loamy Quaternary alluvium. A buried soil starts at a depth of about 150 cm.
Right photo (human-transported material): An Anthroportic Udorthent formed by soil materials being deposited on an older Cecil soil (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults).
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