【Objective】 This study aims to clarify the spatial distribution, characteristics, and multi-factor driving mechanisms of the albic horizon—a critical soil constraint layer in the Northeast Black Soil Region, which serves as China’s premier grain production base. The albic horizon, characterized by high bulk density, elevated hardness, and shallow burial depth, severely restricts plant root penetration and hydrological processes, hindering sustainable agricultural development in this strategically important region. 【Method】Taking the Northeast Black Soil Region as the research area, a soil profile dataset was constructed by integrating measured data from 5 field-investigated standard profiles and systematically compiled records from 776 historical survey profiles. Combined with 21 environmental covariates spanning 7 categories (including climate, topography, hydrology, and soil properties), a random forest (RF) machine learning model was applied to quantitatively analyze the spatial distribution and characteristics of the albic horizon.【Result】The results showed that the albic horizon was mainly distributed in the Sanjiang Plain (covering Jiamusi, Shuangyashan, and Jixi), the northern foothills of the Changbai Mountains (including Mudanjiang, Hegang, and Harbin), and the central low mountain-hilly terrain of Jilin (encompassing Liaoyuan, Tonghua, and Yanbian), with a total predicted area of approximately 29,100 km2 (model Kappa coefficient=0.87, indicating excellent predictive accuracy). In terms of characteristics, the burial depth exhibited a distinct "deep northeast, shallow southwest" spatial gradient: deeper zones concentrated in the Sanjiang Plain interior and central Jilin hilly regions, while shallower zones occurred in the southern Wanda Mountain foothills and western Changbai Mountain foothills, with burial depths ranging from 13.44–38.29 cm. Thickness showed a "thicker central, thinner peripheral" pattern: thick layers mainly located in the eastern Songnen Plain and western Zhangguangcai Mountain foothills, while thinner layers? distributed along the southern Xiao Hinggan Mountain foothills and northern Liaoning Horqin Sandy Land margins, with thickness spanning 12.98–33.36 cm. Multivariate analysis identified key environmental drivers: climate-topography interactions primarily regulated burial depth, hydrology-geomorphology-biology synergies shaped thickness spatial patterns, and soil property-climate-topography interactions dominated albic horizon occurrence and distribution.【Conclusion】This study establishes a robust digital characterization framework for the albic horizon and accurately delineates its spatial distribution patterns alongside multi-factor driving mechanisms. The findings provide a scientific foundation for developing differentiated black soil conservation and restoration strategies, which hold profound implications for sustainable black soil resource utilization and regional food security assurance.