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Abstract The studied area is located on the eastern fringe of the Nile Delta. It is bounded by longitudes 31° 42’ & 32° 8’ E. and latitudes 30° 32’ & 30° 51’ N. To get more soil information on such area, 16 soil profiles were selected to represent three geomorphological units, the Nile alluvial deposits, Desert deposits and the overlapping deposits, along three traverse lines. These 16 soil proftles were described morphologically and subjected to the physical, chemical and mineralogical analyses, the following results were obtained. (1) Soil texture is generally clayey in the alluvial soils, sandy in the desert soils and varying from clayey to sandy in the overlapping soils, containing texture classes like sandy clay loam, sandy clay, sandy loam and loamy sand. (2) Total carbonate content differs from one locality to another. It varies from 1.2 to 4.8% in the alluvial soils, from trace to 0.64% in the desert soils and from trace to 4.4% in the overlapping soils. The distribution patterns within depth are irregular in soil profiles. (3) Organic matter content is generally low in all profiles representing the soil under investigation. It ranges from 0.15-1.45 % due to high temperature and to the prevailing aridity of the region. (4) Soil bulk densities are low in the alluvial soils (1.3 to 1.48 kg/m3), high in the desert soils (1.62-1.68 kg/ml) and it varies from one site to another even in the same site and it is in the range of 1.29 to 1.68 kg/nr’ in the overlapping soils. (5) Soils are non saline in most of profiles and saline in soil profiles As and 84 -110 - belong to the overlapping soils. It differs from 1.4 to 3.7, 0.8 to 4.46 and 0.83 to 130.5 ds/m in the alluvial soils, desert soils and the overlapping soils. (6) Soluble cations are dominated by Na” followed by Ca” ” and Mg” ” while, K+is the least abundant except for some cases in soil profiles A2 and A3 belong to the overlapping soils, profiles B5 and C4 represented the desert the soluble cations are followed the order Ca”” > Na” > Mg” ” > K+. The soluble anions are dominated by 504 = followed by CI- and HC03 - is the least abundant except for some layers in soil profiles 84• B3, A4 and As that belong to the overlapping soils and soil profiles A6, 85 and C, representing the desert soils which are dominated by Cl’ followed 504 = and HC03- is the least abundant. C03 = is absent except for the surface layer of profile B4• (7) The pH values are in the range of7.3 to 7.6,7.2 to 7.6 and 6.8 to 8.5 in the alluvial, desert and overlapping soils. (8) Cation exchange capacity values are in the range of 3.27 to 51.25 me/lOOg soil in all the soil profiles and it depends on clay + silt and organic matter contents. The exchangeable cations are followed the order Ca” ” > Mg” ” > Na” > K+ except for some layers in soil profiles As and C3 belong to the overlapping soils that followed the order Mg” ” > Ca”” > Na+> K+. (9) The statistical size parameters and the graphic distribution patterns show that the alluvial soils and the overlapping soils are characterized by bimodal distribution of Mz’ Q•• 51: and Ko while. the desert soils are cbara.cterized by nearly normal distribution. |