• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 1989

Characterization and classification of the potential acid sulfate soils found on flood-plains in Yeongnam area were summarized as follows: 1. The "Potential acid sulfate soil" layer(s) were appeared in the around 2-4m substrata of soil profiles and characterized by the fine texture, high reduction and physical unripened soft mud deposits or having higher contents of organic matter with dark color. 2. The contents of total sulfur (T-S) in those soils were ranged around 0.45-0.9% and the materials exhibited a strong acidity upon the oxidation with $H_2O_2$. Although the T-S contents was low as much as 0.15%, the sulfidic materials were also acidified strongly by the oxidation with $H_2O_2$ in the condition of lower content of carbonates. As defined in Soil Taxonomy of USDA, most of the sulfidic materials contained less than 3 times carbonate ($CaCO_3$ equivalent wt. %), but there were some which abundant in shell fragments, contained more than 3 times carbonate by weight percentage and that not much acidified by the oxidation with $H_2O_2$. 3. The contents of T-S correlated negatively with the pH oxidized by $H_2O_2$ and with the fizzing time (minutes) due to addition of $H_2O_2$. 4. The potential acid sulfate soils could be defined as soil materials that had sulfidic layer(s) more than 20cm thick within 4m of the soil profile and contained more than 0.15% of T-S with less than 3 times carbonate ($CaCO_3$ equiv. %). A tentative interpretative soil classification system was proposed, i.e., "Weak potential acid sulfate (T-S, 0.15-0.5%)", "Moderate potential acid sulfate (T-S, 0.5-0.75%)", and "Strong potential acid sulfate (T-S, more than 0.75%)". Finally, it was proposed that the "Detailed soil survey with high intensity" should be carried out in the areas of agricultural engineering works such as arableland readjustment works, in advance.