Soils of Washington
State 
Washington State has a wide variety of soils due
to two factors: glaciation and climatic differences. The state is
divided into east and west halves by the Cascade Mountains, with a
western, wet, windward half and a dry eastern half. It is also
divided north to south. The northern half of the state was covered
by glaciers 10,000 years ago and has young soils, and the
southern, unglaciated part of the state has old soils. The Cascade
Mountains also contain volcanoes which have deposited volcanic ash
in many areas. This variety in climate, vegetation, geology and
age provides Washington State with soil types from ten of the
twelve different soil orders recognized by USDA soil
classification system.
Test your ability to identify different soil horizons and soil orders using soils from Washington State. Or use the glossary to find definitions of terms you are unfamiliar with. Go to 'Soil Basics' for background information on the exciting field of soil science: Pedology. To determine classification of a soil, access the 'Keys to Soil Taxonomy'.
Select from the choices at left or click on the soil profile to see a sample profile description for a soil from southwestern Washington State.
This website serves as the course website for ESC 413 and ESC 513, Soil Genesis and Classification. Others are welcome to browse and test their knowledge of soils.