LOCATION EMERY IL

Established Series
REv. CLL-GRS-AAC
01/2011

EMERY SERIES

The Emery series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately permeable soils on concave backslopes and sideslopes on dissected till plains. They formed in loess and the underlying silty or loamy pedisediments which overlie a strongly weathered paleosol in the Pre-Illinoian till. Slope gradients range from 2 to 10 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 940 mm (37 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 11.1 degrees C (52 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Udollic Endoaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Emery silt loam - on a northwest-facing slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots throughout; many fine and medium pores; common irregular prominent discontinuous light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [13 to 23 cm (5 to 9 inches) thick]

Bt1--18 to 46 cm (7 to 18 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) silty clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; common fine and medium continuous tubular pores; many discontinuous distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few patchy prominent gray (10YR 6/1) clay depletions on faces of peds; common fine and medium prominent irregular yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout and common fine and medium irregular black (2.5Y 2/1) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout and common fine distinct irregular gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--46 to 66 cm (18 to 26 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) silty clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; common fine and medium continuous tubular pores; few distinct discontinuous grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium prominent irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout and common fine and medium irregular black (2.5Y 2/1) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout and few fine prominent irregular gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btg1--66 to 94 cm (26 to 37 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; common fine and medium continuous tubular pores; very few distinct discontinuous gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium prominent irregular yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout and common fine and medium irregular black (2.5Y 2/1) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btg2--94 to 114 cm (37 to 45 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; very few distinct discontinuous gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium distinct irregular yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout and common fine and medium irregular black (2.5Y 2/1) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches).]

2Btg3--114 to 140 cm (45 to 55 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; very few distinct patchy gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium prominent irregular brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]

2BCtg--140 to 170 cm (55 to 67 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; very few distinct discontinuous gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium distinct irregular light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 31 cm (0 to 12 inches) thick]

2Cg--170 to 221 cm (67 to 87 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam; massive; friable; common fine and medium distinct irregular yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout and common fine and medium prominent irregular black (2.5Y 2/1) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Illinois; about 1 mile southwest of Adams; 850 feet north and 250 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 27, T. 2 S, R. 7 W.; USGS Payson, IL. topographic quadrangle: Latitude 39 degrees 51 minutes 49 seconds N., and Longitude 91 degrees 12 minutes 6 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon; 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Thickness of the loess: 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 inches0
Average content of clay in the particle-size control section: 20 to 35 percent
Average content of sand in the lower part of the series control section: 8 to 25 percent
Average content of rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section: less than 1 percent

A or Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

BE or EB horizon (where it occurs):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Bt, Btg, 2Btg, and/or 2BCg horizons:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam, silt loam or clay loam
Redoximorphic iron depletions and concentrations:
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Clay content: averages 20 to 35 percent in the uppaer part and 20 to 30 percent in the lower part
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam, silt loam, loam or clay loam
Redoximorphic iron depletions and concentrations:
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Average content of clay: 18 to 35 percent
Average content of sand: 8 to 25 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Atterberry, Bethalto, Canoe, Curran, Franklin, Koszta, Millbrook, Mulvey, Virgil, and Wauconda series. Atterberry and Bethalto soils average less than 8 percent sand in the lower part of the control section. Canoe soils have a sand content more than 8 percent in the upper half of the series control section. Curran soils have a sand content of of more than 70 percent in the lower third of the series control section. Franklin soils have rock fragments of more than 1 percent in the lower third of the series control section. Koszta soils formed in silty alluvium on low stream terraces and have sand content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section. Millbrook and Virgil soils have some layer in the lower part of the control section that has more than 25 percent sand or more than 1 percent rock fragments. Mulvey soils have more than 14 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the control section. Wauconda soils have free carbonates above a depth of 102 cm (40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Emery soils are on concave backslopes and side slopes on till plains. Slope ranges from 2 to 10 percent. Emery soils formed in 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 inches) of loess and the underlying silty and loamy pedisediments. The loess is late-Wisconsinan Peoria loess, and the underlying silty or loamy water-worked sediments are early-Wisconsinan Roxana silt and Cretacious sediments. Emery soils are underlain at a depth of about 2.1 to 3 meters (7 to 10 feet) by a strongly weathered paleosol in the Pre-Illinoian till. They are formed in areas of transition between prairie grass and deciduous forest. Mean annual temperature ranges from 7.8 yo 13.9 degrees C (46 to 57 degrees F), mean annual precipitation ranges from 737 to 1143 mm (29 to 45 inches), frost free days ranges from 160 to 190 days, and elevation ranges from 207 to 311 meters (680 feet to 1020 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Atterberry, Blair, Clarksdale, Downs, El Dara, Fishhook, Ipava, Keller, Keomah, and Rozetta soils. The somewhat poorly drained Atterberry and Clarksdale soils are on similar nearby landform positions and average less than 8 percent sand in the series control section. Blair and El Dara soils are downslope. They have a thinner loess mantle and average more than 25 percent sand in the control section. Fishhook and Keller soils are on similar landform positions and contain more than 35 percent clay in the lower one-half of the control section, and formed partly in Sangamon paleosols. The moderately well drained Downs and Rozetta soils are on similar and more sloping landform positions. Ipava and Keomah soils are on nearby summits and form a biosequence with Emery soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second). Permeability is moderate. The seasonal high water table is 15 cm to 46 cm (0.5 foot to 1.5 feet) below the surface in spring.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used to grow corn, soybeans, small grain, and hay. Natural vegetation is grass and deciduous hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 108B and 115C in central and western Illinois. Extent is small.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Adams County, Illinois, 1995.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of about 18 cm (7 inches) (Ap horizon); Argillic horizon - the zone from 18 to 170 cm (7 inches to 67 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, Btg1, Btg2, 2Btg3, and 2BCtg horizons); Aquic conditions- Watertable or redox features immediately below the surface horizon.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.