ATTENTION - Update in Progress:

We are currently UPDATING THIS MODULE. The soils data tutorials on these pages were designed to be used with the old NRCS SSURGO format. The GIS materials uses ArcView 3.x. We are currently in the process of updating this module to address the newest SSURGO soils data. Copies of this module will be available to download - and will be posted on this website in the upcoming weeks. Please check back or email us with any questions. We are also will be holding hands-one trainings and workshops dealing with SSURO, Soil Data Mart, Soil Data Viewer and more! Stay tuned for more or contact us!

Tutorials

Using Soils Data

Using Soils Data > Data Tables & Structure

What is a soil horizon?

Soil not only varies over the surface, but also changes as you dig deeper into the ground. Soil horizons are layers of soil that are approximately parallel to the surface. These layers differ from other layers in physical, chemical and/or biological properties. Up to six horizons may be recorded for each soil component. This is true whether we are using SSURGO soils data or STATSGO soils data.

The map unit shown has been tilted back so that we can see the soil layers under the surface. Note that the different components each have different layers.