Soil Orders and Suborders Gelisols Histels Orthels Turbels Histosols Fibrists Folists Hemists Saprists Spodosols Aquods Cryods Humods Orthods Andisols Aquands Cryands Torrands Udands Ustands Vitrands Xerands Oxisols Aquox Torrox Udox Ustox Vertisols Aquerts Cryerts Torrerts Uderts Usterts Xererts Aridisols Argids Calcids Cambids Cryids Durids Gypsids Salids Ultisols Aquults Humults Udults Ustults Xerults Mollisols Albolls Aquolls Cryolls Rendolls Udolls Ustolls Xerolls Alfisols Aqualfs Cryalfs Udalfs Ustalfs Xeralfs Inceptisols Anthrepts Aquepts Cryepts Udepts Ustepts Xerepts Entisols Aquents Arents Fluvents Orthents Psamments Extragrade Formative Elements (Partly updated to 1998 Soil Taxonomy Revisions) Formative Element Derivation Connotation Abruptic L. - abruptum, torn off Abrupt textural change Aeric Gr. - aerios, air Aeration Anthropic Gr. - anthropos, man Anthropic epipedon Arenic L. - arena, sand Arenic surface horizon Cumulic L. - cumulus, heap Thickened epipedon Epiaquic Gr. - epi, over, and aquic Surface wetness Glossic Gr. - glossa, tongue Tongued horizon boundaries Grossarenic L. - grossus, thick and arena, sand Grossarenic surface horizon Hydric Gr. - hydor, water Presence of water Leptic Gr. - leptos, thin Thin soil Limnic Gr. - limn, stone Limnic materials present Lithic Gr. - lithos, stone Shallow lithic contact present Pachic Gr. - pachys, thick A thick epipedon Paralithic Gr. - para, beside and lithic Shallow paralithic contact present Pergelic L. - per, throughout; gelare, freeze Permanently frozen Petrocalcic Gr. - petra, rock and calcic Petrocalcic horizon present Petroferric Gr. - petra, rock and liferrum, iron Petroferric contact present Plinthic Gr. - plinthos, brick Plinthite present Ruptic L. - ruptum, broken Intermittent horizon Superic L. - superare, to overtop Plinthite at surface Terric L. - terra, earth Mineral substratum Thapto Gr. - thapto, buried A buried soil `