SOILS, SAPROLITE AND WEATHERED ROCK: MAJOR PROPERTIES, HYDROLOGIC BEHAVIOR, TYPES, AND NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION FROM A PEDOLOGIC PERSPECTIVE

Information is collected on the weathering zone, including saprolite, within several meters of the ground surface as a regular part of the soil inventory process of the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS). I will present an overview of the types, content, and limitations of information on weathered rock, including saprolite, found within soil survey databases (e.g. NASIS, Soils Characterization Database) at national and state scales, as well as results from ongoing National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) investigations. Particular emphasis is placed upon the chemical, physical, and hydrologic behavior (e.g. saturated hydraulic conductivity) from a pedologic perspective, potential environmental importance, types of weathered rock, and the distributions of these materials in the US.