A new method for the identification of sediment stratification in soils of the Blue Springs Basin,Ontario

Eight soil profiles were sampled from the upland and lowland components of four glacial-fluvial landforms in the Blue Springs drainage basin, Guelph, Ontario. Sediment stratification in these soils was established at depths where statistically significant changes in the values of the ratios of % total sand/% total silt that are calculated on clay-free and carbonate-free basis take place. Limits of significance for differences between populations of stratified sediments were established from the standard error of determination of the ratios of % total sand/% total silt at the 0.01 probability level. A texturally uniform sediment is characterized by a regression line in which the depth (X) is the independent variable and the value of the ratio of % total sand/% total silt (Y) corresponding to the depth is the dependent variable.