Knowledge
A reference guide to horizon symbols and soil types from the German Soil Mapping Guide (KA3-KA6), for students, mappers and anyone who wants to read the soil profiles in this database.
Capital letters identify the horizon type. Combinations and lowercase suffixes describe transitions and diagnostic features (e.g. Bv-Cv).
Organic surface layer of fresh to slightly decomposed plant litter on mineral soil (forest humus forms).
Surface layer of more strongly decomposed organic matter (more than 30% organic matter); Of = fermented, Oh = humified.
Peat horizon formed under water saturation (more than 30% organic matter), in mires; Hn = fen, Hh = bog.
Topsoil with humus enrichment and/or depletion of mineral material; e.g. Ah (humic), Ap (ploughed), Ae (acid-bleached), Al (clay-depleted).
Subsoil altered by weathering, brunification or material accumulation; e.g. Bv (browned), Bt (clay-enriched), Bs (sesquioxide-enriched).
Parent material barely affected by soil formation; Cv = weathered, Cn = unweathered, Cc = carbonate-enriched.
Mineral deposit horizon from historical plaggen agriculture (Plaggenesch soils of northwestern Germany).
Semiterrestrial horizon shaped by groundwater; Go = oxidized (rust-mottled), Gr = reduced (pale gray), typical of KA Gley soils.
Horizon sedimented from eroded, Holocene redeposited soil material (Lat. migrare), typical of KA Kolluvisol soils.
Subsoil formed from clay-rich rock (Greek pelos = clay) with pronounced swelling and shrinking dynamics, typical of KA Pelosol soils.
Horizon shaped by perched/stagnant water; Sw = water-conducting (mottled), Sd = water-retaining (dense), typical of KA Pseudogley soils.
Clayey subsoil from the insoluble residue of carbonate rock (Terra fusca).
Horizon shaped by rising reducing gases (e.g. methane, landfill gas or natural gas), typical of KA Reduktosol soils.
Horizon formed from gyttja/mudde under water cover, in subhydric soils (e.g. protopedon, gyttja).
The version labels in this atlas are generated from the database flags on the Horizont_Symbol list. In the current dataset, KA3, KA4 and KA5 use the same horizon-symbol block, so the atlas can distinguish the legacy KA3-KA5 set from KA6, but not separate KA3 vs. KA4 vs. KA5 differences without additional editorial source material.
For learning, read the capital letter first (main horizon), then the lowercase suffixes, then the KA badges. If a symbol has KA6 but not the legacy block, treat it as a newer KA6 entry and verify the detailed definition in the official KA6 material before using it in coursework or mapping.
Data coverage
KA6-only master letters still need expert definitions
| Suffix | Meaning | Example | KA |
|---|---|---|---|
| h | humic, enriched with humus | Ah |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| p | ploughed, shaped by regular tillage | Ap |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| e | acid-bleached, depleted in iron and humus by podzolization | Ae |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| l | lessivated, depleted in clay by clay translocation | Al |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| t | clay-enriched by illuviated clay | Bt |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| v | weathered/browned, brunified and clay-loam altered or weathered | Bv, Cv |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| s | sesquioxide-enriched, enriched with iron/aluminium oxides | Bs |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| o | oxidized, rust-mottled in the groundwater fluctuation zone | Go |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| r | reduced, permanently water-saturated with pale gray reduction colors | Gr |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| w | conducting perched water, temporarily water-saturated and mottled | Sw |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| d | stagnating, dense water-retaining horizon | Sd |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| n | unweathered, fresh parent material | Cn |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| c | carbonate-enriched with secondary carbonate | Cc |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
| a | peaty, topsoil with 15-30% organic matter | Aa |
KA3
KA4
KA5
KA6
|
All soil-type abbreviations from the KA nomenclature. Entries with profiles link to the filtered profile list.
Kalkrambla
Auenpelosol
Auengley
Allochthone Vega
Auenparabraunerde
Rambla
Auenpodsol
Kalkpaternia
Auenpseudogley
Tschernitza
Kalkpaternia
Auenpararendzina
Fahlerde
Parabraunerde
Terra fusca
Terra rossa
Pelosol
Felshumusboden
None
Skeletthumusboden
Anmoorgley
Moorgley
None
Anmoorgley
Hochmoor
Übergangsmoor
None
Brackwatt
Seewatt
Perimariner Wattboden, Flusswatt
Dy
Gyttja
Protopedon
Sapropel
Äolium
None
Kolluvium (Fluviales Kolluvium)
Erdhochmoor
Mulmniedermoor
None
None
Fahlerde
Brackmarsch
Dwogmarsch
Flussmarsch
Haftnässemarsch
Humusmarsch
Organomarsch
Seemarsch
Salzmarsch
Anmoorhanggley
None
Hanggley
Moorhanggley
Nasshanggley
Syrosem
Syrosem
Staupodsol
Anmoorquellengley
None
Quellengley
Moorquellengley
None
Ranker
Rendzina
None
None
Stagnogley
Stagnogley
Pseudogley
Brauner Steppenboden
Strand
None
None
Braunplastosol
Grauplastosol
Rotplastosol
Fersiallit
Ferralit
Gelblatosol
Plinthitlatosol
Rotlatosol
Reduktosol
Deckkulturboden
Fehnkulturboden
Hortisol
Rigosol
Spittkulturboden
Treposol
Rigosol
Auftragsboden
Sources used to ground KA-version context and future atlas definitions. Version tags in this atlas still come from the database flags, not from manually entered references.
InfoGEO / State Geological Surveys of Germany
Official KA6 landing page with mapping-guide documents, forms and corrigenda.
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)
Official BGR announcement for the published sixth edition.
Freie Universitaet Berlin, Geosciences Library
Library notice summarizing structural changes in KA6, including diagnostic criteria for horizon symbols.