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Examining soils in the field.

Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils

Standards for observing and recording soil and site characteristics.

Version 4.0—Now Available Online

Soil survey staff completed the “Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, Version 4.0” (Soil Survey Staff, 2024) in November 2024. Version 4.0 of the “Field Book” is currently available online only.

Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, Version 4.0 (5.24 MB)

The Science and Art of Soil and Landscape Description

The “Field Book” summarizes the present science and art of describing and documenting soils in the United States. The intended audience is professionals who describe soils for various purposes. The “Field Book” includes key descriptors, conventions, and concepts from soil science and geomorphology to facilitate field observations and soil documentation. The “Field Book” also aids in understanding soil descriptions and data found in soil surveys, dissertations, research papers, and general soil publications.

The “Field Book” is a 4" x 7" spiral-bound publication printed on waterproof paper. Page tabs mark “Field Book” chapters and sections for quick, easy reference. Early chapters address site description, soil profile and pedon description, and geomorphology. Latter chapters provide information on geology, soil taxonomy, location, field sampling, and miscellaneous topics.

Versions

Version 4.0 (2024) includes new content, chapter updates, and new terms. Version 4.0 supersedes previous versions. 

Updates for Field Book, Version 4.0 (127.24 KB)

The third printing of version 3.0 (2021) contained minor changes from previous printings. 

Updates for Field Book, Third Printing, Version 3.0 (208.59 KB)

Version 3.0 (2012) included new content, chapter updates, new terms, and addressed errors in earlier versions. 

Updates for Field Book, Version 3.0 (82.47 KB)

Esta es una traducción de la versión 2.0. La versión actual, 3.0, no está actualmente disponible en español. 

Guía de campo para el muestreo y descripción de perfiles de suelos, versión 2.0 (5.93 MB)

Ordering Information

Hard copies of version 4.0 should be at the NRCS Distribution Center by March 2025. Once the “Field Book” is available, it can be ordered through the NRCS Distribution Center using the keywords “field book.” Other versions of the “Field Book” are out of print.

Recommended Citation

Soil Survey Staff. (2024). Field book for describing and sampling soils, version 4.0. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. U.S. Government Printing Office.

 

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