在联合国粮食及农业组织土壤资源参考基准中漂白红砂土的定义是，土壤连同薄而深色的外表层在缺乏光亮层（一个白土层）呈舌形突出成为黏土淀积层。粘土淀积层有一个不规则或损坏造成舌形突出的上分界线褪色土壤的淀积层。在美国农业部土壤分类系统中，漂白红砂土与舌状白土潮淋溶土，Glossocryalfs和舌状白土潮淋溶土有关联。

这些土壤的主要是形成于松散的冰碛物、湖成平原或在河流中构成，或者风成沉积，比如黄土。它们出现在持平至起伏的平原下寒带的针叶林或北方针叶林里的混交林以及连同寒冬和短暂的凉爽夏天的温带气候地区。

An albeluvisol in the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources is a soil with a thin, dark surface horizon on a bleached subsurface horizon (an albic horizon) that tongues into a clay illuviation (Bt) horizon. The Bt horizon has an irregular or broken upper boundary resulting from the tonguing of bleached soil material into the illuviation horizon. Albeluvisols correlate with Glossaqualfs, Glossocryalfs and Glossudalfs in the USDA soil taxonomy.