Soil and landscape studies in Western Australia

The main features of climate and geology relevant to a discussion of the soils and landscapes of Western Australia are briefly reviewed. The pattern of drainage is described in terms of six drainage divisions, each with characteristic physiography and soils. In the interior, this involves a reconstruction of an ancient drainage system, based on the maps of the Atlas of Australian Soils. It is shown, on a continental scale, that the major divides are characterised not only by deep, chemically weathered, often lateritic profiles, but also by extensive sandy deposits derived from these preweathered materials.