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What is Munsell soil color chart?

3 min read

Asked by: Craig Gereger

The Munsell Color System describes a soil’s color, based on Hue, Value & Chroma. The Munsell Book is a collection of color chips with varying degrees of hue, value & chroma. Take a small soil sample and match it up with the appropriate color chip to determine that soil’s Munsell “code.”

What is Munsell color chart in soil science?

Munsell Soil Colour Charts are an affordable way to evaluate the type of soil that is present within a given area and allows users to, quickly and easily, make soil colour evaluations in the most testing field conditions.

How do you use Munsell soil color chart?


You can quickly identify the soil sample color rating by referring to the color name diagram on the opposite page to the left of the Munsell. Chart. Once you have identified the hue.

What is Munsell Color Theory?

Munsell Color Theory is based on a three-dimensional model in which each color is comprised of three attributes of hue (color itself), value (lightness/darkness) and chroma (color saturation or brilliance)

What does the Munsell chart measure?

Munsell. It defines colours by measured scales of hue, value, and chroma, which correspond respectively to dominant wavelength, brightness, and strength or purity. The system is used internationally for specifying opaque colours of dyed or pigmented surfaces.

How many colors are in Munsell color chart?

In practice, color charts conventionally specify 40 hues, in increments of 2.5, progressing as for example 10R to 2.5YR. Two colors of equal value and chroma, on opposite sides of a hue circle, are complementary colors, and mix additively to the neutral gray of the same value.

How many Munsell colors are there?

On the Munsell Hue circle, there are 5 Principal hues: Red (R), Yellow (Y), Green (G), Blue (B), Purple (P) and 5 Intermediate hues: Yellow-Red (YR), Green-Yellow (GY), Blue-Green (BG), Purple-Blue (PB), Red-Purple (RP).

What does a soil color indicate?

The most influential colours in a well drained soil are white, red, brown and black. White indicates the predominance of silica (quartz), or the presence of salts; red indicates the accumulation of iron oxide; and brown and black indicate the level and type of organic matter.

What is the importance of soil Colour?

Soil color is important because it is a measure, indirectly, of other important properties. Properties implied from soil color include water drainage, aeration, mineral material composition, and the organic matter content.

What is the importance of using Munsell color chart?

The Munsell system correlates to the way the human eye sees color and served as the basis for modern day computerized color matching systems, making it ideal for designers who specify color to manufacturers who use these systems.

What’s the advantage of Munsell Color System?

Each color can be recorded and transmitted by a simple code. (color communication made easy!) Color tolerances can be readily and meaningfully expressed.