Munsell Soil Color Book

Using the Munsell Soil Book of Color is simple. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service explains that the soil sample is placed next to the color chips within the soil chart and visually compared to determine the corresponding notation based on three color attributes: Hue, Value, and Chroma (HVC).

Munsell Colors, also known as Munsell Color Notations, are variations of a standard color identified by three attributes (or dimensions): Hue (the color), Value (the lightness or darkness of the color), and Chroma (the weakness/neutrality or strength/vibrancy of the color). The Munsell system notates colors through a numerical scale. Munsell colors are utilized in a wide variety of industries and applications which rely upon color as an indicator of quality or uniformity of a product, indicate compliance with industry standards or government regulations, etc.

In soil, Munsell colors provide a visual analysis to help understand the composition of the soil, its potential for a specific use of the land; e.g., for building or drainage, etc.

According to the Munsell website, “Soil color indicates the makeup of the soil within a given geographic area, which can influence the land’s fitness for use …” 

Munsell’s standard color hues for soil include Red (R), Yellow-Red (YR), Yellow (Y), and Green-Yellow (GY). Gley charts encompass “greenish or bluish” gray colors. The color of soil tells civil engineers, land planners, agronomists, scientists, and other professionals about the soil’s composition; e.g., the presence or lack of minerals, water, nutrients, etc. This helps them determine if the soil is suitable for their specific use.

There are 450 standard color chips charted in the comprehensive Soil Color Book and they are representative specifically of soils, with additional information relevant to soil color.

The book comes in an 8x6in easy to carry ring binder with tabbed Munsell Soil Color Chart pages and color chips, comparative charts and diagrams, and basic information on determining soil color. In addition to the Munsell Soil Color Chart 10YR and 10R, the following soil color charts are included:

• 2.5Y and 2.5YR
• 5R, 5Y, and 5YR
• 7.5R and 7.5YR
• 10Y to 5GY colors (olive greens)
• Gley 1 and Gley 2 Soil Charts
• White Page (white/light-color hues and chromas)

There is no PDF version of the Soil Color Chart for downloading, nor is there a soil color chart online.

Replacement pages are not available. However, Munsell recommends replacing the soil color book every 2 years when using it in compliance with industry standards, and every 2 to 4 years for general use.