LOCATION MORRILL KS+NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Morrill loam - in grassland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 15 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; 2 percent mixed gravels; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 centimeters thick)
BA--15 to 30 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3 and 7.5YR 3/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; 2 percent mixed gravels; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 28 centimeters thick)
Bt1--30 to 56 centimeters; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent mixed gravels; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--56 to 76 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent mixed gravels; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--76 to 89 centimeters; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common faint patchy clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent mixed gravels; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt4--89 to 109 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few faint patchy clay films on faces of peds; few medium yellowish red (5YR 4/6) relict iron stains; 2 percent mixed gravels; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 23 to 79 centimeters)
BC--109 to 132 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common medium yellowish red (5YR 4/6) relict iron stains; 2 percent mixed gravels; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (20 to 56 centimeters thick)
2C1--132 to 150 centimeters; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) fine sandy loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine yellowish red (5YR 4/6) relict iron stains; 2 percent mixed gravels; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2C2--150 to 185 centimeters; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) loamy fine sand, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common coarse strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and yellowish red (5YR 5/6) relict iron stains; 2 percent mixed gravels; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
2C3--185 to 203 centimeters; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common coarse and very coarse rounded clay bodies throughout; 2 percent mixed gravels; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Brown County, Kansas; about 5 miles east and 2 1/2 miles north of
Hiawatha; 754 meters (2,475 feet) north and 192 meters (630 feet) west of the southeast corner, sec. 7, T. 2 S., R. 18 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is Udic moisture regime.
Depth to argillic horizon: 15 to 58 centimeters
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 51 centimeters
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content: Greater than 20 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: Loam, clay loam, stony loam and very stony loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: Gravels range from 0 to 14 percent by volume
Reaction: Neutral to very strongly acid
A stony phase is recognized
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: Loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, gravelly clay loam, or gravelly
sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: Gravels range from 2 to 25 percent
Reaction: Neutral to very strongly acid
2C or C horizons:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: Loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, gravelly sandy loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, loamy fine sand, or sand. A few pedons contain strata of clay.
Clay content: 5 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: Gravels range from 2 to 25 percent
Reaction: Neutral to very strongly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Atkinson,
Burchard,
Calmar,
Cokato,
Cresco,
Cresent,
Durand,
Friesland,
Griswold,
Hitt,
Jasper,
Joslin,
Keosauqua,
Kishwaukee,
Marbletown,
Moingona,
Nuxmaruhanixete,
Pana,
Parmod,
Penfield,
Reedslake,
Ringwood,
Rockton,
Schoolcraft,
Shelby,
Sibleyville,
Velma,
Winnebago and.Atkinson, Hitt and Marbletown soils have a lithic or paralithic contact at depths of 102 to 152 centimeters.
Calmar, Rockton, and Sibleyville soils have lithic or paralithic contact at a
depth of 51 to 102 centimeters
Burchard, Cresco, Keosauqua, Moingona and Shelby soils have hues yellower than 5YR in the argillic horizon.
Durand, Ringwood, Velma, and Winnebago soils have an upper part of the solum formed in 25 to 76 centimeters of silty material.
Cokato, Griswold, Jasper, Parmod, Penfield, and Reedslake soils have free carbonates at depths above 114 centimeters.
Cresent soils allow a yellower hue and have less sand in the solum.
Friesland soils contain less than 20 percent sand in the lower solum.
Joslin soils contain more than 10 percent clay in the lower part of the control section.
Kishwaukee soils have horizons with more than 20 percent gravel within the series control section.
Nuxmaruhanixete soils have a silt surface that ranges from 38 to 89 centimeters thick
Pana soils have more than 20 percent gravel by volume in the argillic horizon.
Schoolcraft soils average more than 80 percent sand in the lower part of the series control
section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Loamy till or outwash deposits.
Landform: Convex side slopes or narrow interfluves on Uplands
Slopes: 1 to 30 percent
Mean annual temperature: 9 to 14 degrees C (48 to 57 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 76 to 102 centimeters
Frost-free period: 160 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Burchard and
Shelby soils and
Aksarben,
Grundy,
Mayberry,
Pawnee,
Sharpsburg,
Steinauer, and
Wymore soils.
Burchard, Shelby, and Steinauer soils are on similar topographic positions as Morrill soils.
Steinauer soils do not have a mollic epipedon.
Aksarben, Grundy, Mayberry, Pawnee, Sharpsburg, and Wymore soils are on somewhat
higher topographic positions and are fine textured.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Well
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION: The less sloping areas are cultivated.
The principal crops are corn, grain sorghum, and winter wheat.
The more sloping areas are used mainly for pasture or range.
Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Kansas and eastern Nebraska; large
extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brown County, Kansas, 1958.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 30 to 109 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 and Bt4 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 30 centimeters (A and BAt horizons)
Argillic horizon: 30 to 109 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 and Bt4 horizons)
Lithologic discontinuity: At the upper boundary of the 2C1 horizon.
LRR=M
03/29/95 - Added slightly sticky and slightly plastic to horizons and fine tubular to roots.
Modified Competing Series and Geographically Associated Soils somewhat.
Added Remarks
10/06/94 - Changed gravels to percentage of gravel in Bt1, BC, and C horizons. Changed
references throughout from gravels to gravel. Changed annual precipitation range to a
high of 94 centimeters. Added "and udic moisture regime" to Remarks.
03/29/95 - Changed type location.
05/00 -From Soil Interpretation Record added Clay Content to A and 2C horizons and
Frost Free Period to Geographic Setting.
11/2005 JCR LM added metric conversion and saturated hydraulic conductivity.
09/2008 GJJ added some more metric conversions, removed English units, and made
some minor format changes.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Two pedons have been described in Soil Survey Investigation
Report No. 5, pages 138 to 141. A complete analysis is available for this pedon from
NSSL as pedon number S87-KS-013-001.