Final answer:
To calculate soil texture, plot the given percentages of sand, silt, and clay on a triangular texture plot, intersecting the lines corresponding to each. The area of intersection gives the soil texture class.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating Soil Texture Using a Triangular Plot
To calculate the soil texture using the percentages of sand, silt, and clay, one can employ a soil texture triangle, which is a type of ternary plot. Each corner of the triangle corresponds to 100% of one of the three soil components—sand, silt, or clay—with percentages decreasing towards the opposite side of the triangle. To interpret the soil texture:
- Locate the percentage line for clay (the green horizontal tie lines in Figure 0.6) on the triangular plot.
- Identify the percentage line for silt (the blue dotted tie lines).
- Find the sand percentage line (the red dashed tie lines).
- The point where these three lines intersect within the triangle indicates the soil's texture class.
For example, a soil sample containing 25% sand, 50% silt, and 25% clay will be plotted as follows:
- Begin with the 25% clay line.
- Then find the 50% silt line and see where it intersects the clay line.
- Finally, the remaining percentage will be for sand, which will ensure the three percentages add up to 100%.
- The area within the triangle where the three lines intersect represents the soil texture class.