An interpretation of the soil formations found on Basalt in the Richmond-Tweed region of New South Wales

Abstract

Investigations of the basaltic soils of the north coast of New South Wales suggest that the different soils developed are due mainly to differential leaching under the influence of the present climatic conditions. The district falls naturally into three areas, a less leached area of chernozem and chocolate soils, a highly leached area of krasnozems, and a narrow transition belt between the two. At a few localities in the transition and chernozem / chocolate areas, krasnozems are found in positions where they would not be expected from the general pattern. These appear to be fossil in character and to have originated by weathering of earlier basalt flows during mid to late Tertiary time.