Geomorphic surfaces and latosol (oxisol) characteristics on a sandstone/basalt sequence from the Jaboticabal region, Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Soil and geomorphic surfaces were studied on a sandstone/basalt hillslope segment, commonly found in the Jaboticabal region (NW Sao Paulo State). Main objectives were to relate the geomorphic surfaces with chemical, physical and mineralogical properties of Oxisols and to apply geostatistic methods as a helping tool for their automatic location. Soils were sampled at depths of 0.6 to 0.8 m (upper. B-horizons) in a 1, 700 m long transect at regular 25 m intervals, amounting to 109 sampling sites. Soil samples were analyzed for particle density, particle-size-distribution, soil CEC, clay CEC, total clay iron and free iron oxides. Iron free clays were submitted to X ray diffraction analysis. Three geomorphic surfaces were identified based on fieldwork and previous stratigraphic knowledge. The topographic profile was also analyzed. The different geomorphic surfaces are well-related to physical, chemical and mineralogical soil properties. The variability of the clay and iron amounts were higher in the lower part of the slope (over basaltic rocks). Variation on slope gradient, when analyzed by the split moving windows dissimilarity analysis showed to be useful to indicate geomorphic surface boundaries. Most of the soil variability was logically well-related to the surface age, parent material and slope gradient. Geomorphic work proved to be very useful to help outline detailed soil survey maps as well as to help understand soil evolution process.