Soil Horizon
Definition
A roughly horizontal layer of soil with distinct physical, chemical or biological properties. The standard sequence from surface down is O (organic), A (topsoil), B (subsoil) and C (parent material). Forensic comparison rarely matches across horizons.
Related terms
- Anthropogenic Fraction
- The human-made content of a soil sample: concrete dust, brick fragments, paint flakes, fly ash, road tar. Often the most discriminating component...
- Density Gradient Tube
- A vertical glass tube filled with a bromoform-bromobenzene mixture in stepped concentrations, producing a stable density gradient. Soil particles settle at depths...
- Diatom Test
- A laboratory test for ante-mortem submersion in which bone marrow (from sealed femur diaphysis) is acid-digested and the diatom species identified in...
- Munsell Colour Notation
- A three-axis colour system using hue (e.g., 10YR), value (lightness) and chroma (saturation). The Munsell Soil Colour Chart is the field standard...
- Palynology
- The study of pollen grains and spores. In forensic work it links persons, objects, or remains to specific geographic locations through the...
Explained in
- Soil and Botanical Evidence: Composition and ComparisonA roughly horizontal layer of soil with distinct physical, chemical or biological properties. The standard sequence from surface down is O (organic), A (topsoi...