Laboratory Methods for Classification of United Arab Emirates Soils

Abstract

Laboratory analyses of soil samples are necessary to verify field soil taxonomic observation. The standard laboratory methods (physical, chemical, engineering, mineralogical, and micromorphological) that form the basis of the operational definitions of the second edition of Soil Taxonomy are described in this chapter, and these methods have been used to support the United Arab Emirates Keys to Soil Taxonomy. Some modifications have been made to fit the hot desert conditions in the United Arab Emirates. The procedures of various determinations such as soil texture, fragments in the soil, moisture content, total pretreatment loss (TPL), loss on acid treatment, carbonate equivalents, gypsum, anhydrite, extractable cations, cation-exchange capacity, exchangeable sodium percentage, saturation percentage, saturation extract analysis, electrical conductivity of the saturated extract, soil reaction or hydrogen ion activity (pH), sodium adsorption ratio, osmotic potential, engineering data (Atterberg limits), AASHTO group classification, Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), percent passing sieves, water retention, bulk density, particle density, porosity, organic carbon, soil mineralogy, clay mineralogy, x-ray fluorescence, thin section study (soil micromorphology) are described in this chapter.