LOCATION GRAYCALM MI+MN WI

Established Series
Rev. NWS-WEF-MLK
08/2012

GRAYCALM SERIES

The Graycalm series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits on moraines, kames, stream terraces, outwash plains, and glacial drainage channels. Slope ranges from 0 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 760 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C (44 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Isotic, frigid Lamellic Udipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Graycalm sand, on a 1 percent slope on an outwash plain in a forested area at an elevation of about 340 meters (1,115 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [2 to 13 cm (1 to 5 inches) thick]

Bw1--8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. [8 to 30 cm (3 to 12 inches) thick]

Bw2--15 to 33 cm (6 to 13 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 inches) thick]

Bw3--33 to 56 cm (13 to 22 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 inches) thick]

E--56 to 89 cm (22 to 35 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grain; loose; very few fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt broken boundary. [0 to 64 cm (0 to 25 inches) thick]

E and Bt--89 to 152 cm (35 to 60 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand (E); single grain; loose; lamellae of brown (7.5YR 5/4) and reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loamy sand (Bt); weak very fine to medium subangular blocky structure; friable; lamellae are 6 mm to 5 cm (1/4 to 2 inches) in thickness with a total accumulation of 13 cm (5 inches); about 5 percent gravel; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Clare County, Michigan; about 2310 feet west and 700 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 6, T. 20 N., R. 4 W., Frost Township; USGS Cooperton, Michigan topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 8 minutes 55 seconds N. and long. 84 degrees 50 minutes 17 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the first lamella: 64 to 122 cm (25 to 48 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 127 to greater than 203 cm (50 to greater than 80 inches)
Content of rock fragments: 0 to 14 percent gravel and 0 to 3 percent cobbles throughout the profile
Series control section, 0 to 152 cm (60 inches): averages 20 to 50 percent fine sand and very fine sand
Mean annual soil temperature: 4.4 to 8.3 degrees C (40 to 47 degrees F)
Other features: Typical pedon has an average sand distribution of about 55 percent medium sand, 26 percent fine sand, 16 percent coarse sand, 2 percent very coarse sand, and 1 percent very fine sand

Some pedons have an Oe horizon of partially decomposed forest litter.

A or Ap horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4 (A); 3 or 4 (Ap)
Chroma: 1 to 3 (A); 2 or 3 (Ap)
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

E horizon above the Bw horizon (where present):
Thickness: 2 to 10 cm (1 to 4 inches)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 7
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Content of acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: .10 to .25 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

E part of the E and Bt horizon, or where present the E horizon below the Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

Bt part of the E and Bt horizon:
Thickness of lamellae: 1.6 mm to 8 cm (1/16 to 3 inches), with a total accumulation within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches) of less than 15 cm (6 inches)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, sand, or fine sandy loam
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

C horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sand or coarse sand; some pedons have thin bands of loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or fine sand 1.6 mm to 2 cm (1/16 to 1 inch) thick, with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and value and chroma of 4 to 6
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Series in similar families are the Eagleview, Faunce, Gerrish, and Zimmerman series that have a mixed mineralogy class. Eagleview soils are dry in the soil moisture control section for more than 20 consecutive days during the 120 days following the summer solstice. Faunce soils have carbonates within a depth of 127 cm (50 inches). Gerrish soils contain more than 14 percent gravel in the upper part of the series control section. Zimmerman soils have a similar content of medium sand and very fine sand in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Graycalm soils are on moraines, kames, stream terraces, outwash plains, and glacial drainage channels of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 70 percent. Graycalm soils formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 686 to 813 mm (27 to 32 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 3.3 to 8.3 degrees C (38 to 47 degrees F). Frost-free period is 90 to 150 days. Elevation is 183 to 396 meters (600 to 1,300 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Au Gres, Grayling, Menahga, Montcalm, Roscommon, and Rubicon soils. Grayling and Menahga soils are more droughty and are on outwash plains and lake plains. Rubicon soils have spodic horizons and are on landscape positions similar to those of Graycalm soils. Montcalm soils have an argillic horizon and are on outwash plains and moraines. The somewhat poorly drained Au Gres soils and poorly drained Roscommon soils have zones of aquic conditions and may be in a drainage sequence with the Graycalm soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to low depending on slope. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high.

USE AND VEGETATION: A large part is in forestland. Forest vegetation consists chiefly of northern red oak with some white pine in the southern extent of the soil, and jack pine and scrub oak in the northern extent. A small part is cropped to small grains, corn, or hay.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 57, 88, 90A, 90B, 93A, 94A, 94C, 96, and 98 in the central and northern part of Lower Michigan, north-central part of Minnesota, and northern Wisconsin. The type location is in MLRA 94A. The series is of large extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clare County, Michigan, 1977.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 8 cm (3 inches) (A horizon).
Lamellic feature: cumulative thickness of lamellae in the E and Bt horizon is 13 cm (5 inches); within 203 cm (80 inches), total lamellae thickness is less than 15 cm (6 inches).

The moderately well drained phase is no longer within the series concept.

ADDITIONAL DATA: For laboratory data of the Graycalm series, refer to S74MI-35-1 (74B425-74B431), S74MI-35-2 (74B432-436), S74MI-35-4 (74B445-74B452), Beltsville Lab; and S84MI-129-006, Michigan Technological University Soil Lab.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.