A RECENT STUDY ON GEOMORPHOLOGY, CHARACTERISTICES AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN EL-FAYOUM GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

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The current work aims to make a recent study on the geomorphology, characteristics and classification of soils in El-Fayoum governorate, Egypt. The investigated area is located to the west of the Nile at 90 km southwest of Cairo. It occupies 2138.53 km2. The agricultural land represents 1252.4 km2, meanwhile, the urban areas occupy 540.86 km2. The Multi Images produced by Remote Sensing and GIS technique were used to identify the geomorphological features of the area. A reconnaissance survey followed by detailed one was done to verify the information resulted from satellite images. Five main landforms with some sub-mains were recognized in the studied area namely: Recent river terraces (high, moderate and low), Basins (overflow, and decantation), Old river terraces (high, moderate high, moderate and low), Former lake bed, Water bodies (fish ponds and Lake Qaroun). Thirty soil profiles were chosen representing these landforms and morphologically described. Soil samples were collected for physiochemical analyses. The studied area has almost flat topography with very deep soil materials. Some soils that having moderately high-water table levels, are moderately deep and imperfectly drained. Most of the studied soils have clay loam texture grade and some have loam to sandy loam ones. All soils have slightly alkaline reaction and most of them are slightly-saline with moderate to high sodicity effect especially the areas with high water table and/or adjacent to Lake Qaroun. These soils are moderately calcareous poor in organic matter and gypsum contents. Most of the studied soils haven’t any clear diagnostic horizons and classified according to Soil Survey Staff (2014) under Entisols. Some of them that have Natric and/or Calcic horizons are classified under Aridisols orders up to sub-great group level.