LOCATION MARKER IN

Established Series
Rev. TRZ-BC
11/2021

MARKER SERIES

The Marker series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in till on recessional moraines. These soils are moderately deep to dense till. Slope ranges from 2 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 914 mm (36 inche), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquollic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Marker silt loam on a convex slope of 4 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; common coarse olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) pockets of clay loam material from the subsoil; moderate medium granular structure; friable; 3 percent rock fragments; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [18 to 23 cm (7 to 9 inches) thick]

Bt1--20 to 36 cm (8 to 14 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; thin continuous dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; 3 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--36 to 53 cm (14 to 21 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; firm; many very fine vesicular pores; thin continuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; common prominent grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; 3 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 28 to 84 cm (11 to 33 inches).]

2BCt--53 to 66 cm (21 to 26 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine tubular pores; thin discontinuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions; 5 percent rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

2Cd--66 to 152 cm (26 to 60 inches); olive (5Y 5/3) silt loam; massive; firm; common medium distinct gray (5Y 5/1) iron depletions; 5 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Tippecanoe County, Indiana; 5.5 miles northeast of Montmorenci; 330 feet east and 2,500 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 10, T. 24 N., R. 5 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Sand content: 10 to 30 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral depending on liming history

Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: clay loam
Clay content: averages 28 to 34 percent
Sand content: averages 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

2BC horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: silt loam
Rock fragment content: 1 to 10 percent
Moist bulk density: 1.70g cm3 or more
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

2Cd horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 or 4
Clay content: averages 20 to 27 percent
Sand content: averages 10 to 30 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline; carbonates are present

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alida, Ashippun, Kibbie, Lourdes, Montmorenci, and Symco series. All of these soils except Kibbie average less than 50 percent silt in an horizon in the lower one-half of the control section. Kibbie soils average less than 1 percent rock fragments throughout the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Marker soils are on recessional moraines of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 2 to 6 percent. Marker soils formed in till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 889 to 965 mm (35 to 38 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 10.0 to 11.1 degrees C (50 to 52 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beecher and Drummer soils. The somewhat poorly drained Beecher soils are on more level ridge tops. The poorly drained Drummer soils are in depressions and drainageways.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 46 to 91 cm (1.5 to 3 feet) during the wet season. Potential for surface runoff is low or medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the subsoil and moderately low in the underlying material. Permeability is moderate in the subsoil and slow in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used to grow corn, soybeans, or small grain. A few areas are used for hay or pasture. Native vegetation is prairie grass and mixed hardwoods.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 110 in northwestern Indiana. The series is of small extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tippecanoe County, Indiana 1993.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon (mollic intergrade): from the surface to a depth of 20 cm (8 inches) (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 53 cm (8 to 21 inches) (Bt horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data available for this pedon: (S85IN-157-9) NSSL.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.