Re: What is Saprolite?

This is a very useful description of saprolite. However, in Soil Taxonomy we use the term paralithic materials (made of pararock fragments) for material that can be be dug with hand tools but is still at least very slightly cemented. The material should not slake in water.

The concept of slaking in water is valuable and is a test we have used for other materials such as fragipans.

Discussion of the volume occupied is also valuable. We consider saprolite to be a material and therefore a soil horizon may have 0 to 100% of saprolitic material, the same as allowed for pararock and rock fragments, fragic properties, albic materials, etc. Therefore we are not forced to call the entire horizon saprolite or not but we should describe the volume of saprolite and the volume of a horizon that has soil structure. This would help us decide if the horizon should be designated as B, BC, CB, or C.