CSIRO Science Image

The picture on the right shows a Sulfuric, Extratidal, Hydrosol soil profile at East Trinity near Cairns, north Queensland, showing bright yellow coloured jarosite-rich mottles in sulfuric material, between 35cm and 45cm, overlying the darker sulfidic material.

On the left is a typical landscape at East Trinity, adjacent to the city of Cairns, is within the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The former tropical estuarine wetland was drained for sugar cane production some 20 years ago following construction of a bund wall and tidal floodgates. Acidification and the production of acid leachates (red and yellow iron precipitates), have severely degraded the land and streams within the drained area.

For more information see McKenzie, N. J., Jacquier, D. W., Isbell, R. F. and Brown, K. L. (2004). Australian Soils and Landscapes: an illustrated compendium. 416pp (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne).

Photographer : Rob Fitzpatrick on January 01 1995.

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