Hardened soil horizon, usually found in the middle or lower parts of the profile, that may be indurated or cemented by a variety of possible cementing materials. See alsocaliche; duricrust; pan.
Geography
A cemented layer in the B horizon of a soil, formed by the illuviation and precipitation of material from the A horizon, such as clay (forming a clay pan), humus (a moor pan), or iron (an iron pan). See Lee and Gilkes (2005) Geoderma 126, 1–2.