UV-VIS spectroscopy and molecular size distribution of water soluble organic carbon(WSOC)of 4 soil samples collected from the eastern part of China were determined.Correlation between relative molicular size of WSOC and ratio of absorbance at 250 nm and 365 nm(E2/E3)together with UV absorbanc intensity per unit carbon at 240 nm(E/TOC)were calculated.Also,same analyses were performed on fulvic acids extracted from part of the soil samples.It was found that there was a significant negtive correlationship between E2/E3 and molecular size of WSOC,while a significant positive correlationship existe between E/TOC and molecular size of WSOC,which means that E2/E3 and E/TOC could be used t study molecular size distribution of WSOC.But no similar relationships were found for fulvic acids.Th reason for it needs to investigate further.It was also found that E/TOC showed a decreasing tendency from north to south and east to west in the studied area.Climate,mainly the temperature and precipation wa thought to play an important role on spatial variation of UV-VIS of WSOC.