LOCATION PRINCETON               IN+IL OH

Established Series
Rev. BGN-MLW-KKN
01/2011

PRINCETON SERIES


The Princeton series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in deposits of eolian silt and fine sand. The Princeton soils are on dunes and less commonly on stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1016 mm (40 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C (53 degrees F).

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Princeton fine sandy loam, on a slope of 4 percent in an alfalfa field at an elevation of about 162 meters (530 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many medium roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [13 to 28 cm (5 to 11 inches) thick]

Bt1--20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak thick platy structure parting to weak fine and very fine subangular blocky; friable; common medium roots; common distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt coatings on faces of peds; few distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--28 to 66 cm (11 to 26 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium and fine roots; many distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt3--66 to 104 cm (26 to 41 inches); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 63 to 127 cm (25 to 50 inches).]

E and Bt--104 to 152 cm (41 to 60 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy sand (E); weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common wavy discontinuous strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam lamellae (Bt); strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. [25 to 76 cm (10 to 30 inches) thick]

CB--152 to 203 cm (60 to 80 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) stratified loamy fine sand and fine sand; single grain; loose; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Vigo County, Indiana; 1 1/2 miles south and 2 1/2 miles east of Prairieton; 2,380 feet west and 360 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 5, T. 10 N., R. 9 W.; USGS Pimento, IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 20 minutes 45 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 26 minutes 0 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 462657 easting and 4355247 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 102 to more than 203 cm (40 to more than 80 inches)
Particle-size control section: averages 18 to 25 percent clay and 40 to 75 percent sand
Rock fragment content: the series control section contains no rock fragments

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: averages 6 to 13 percent
Sand content: averages 55 to 70 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

An E horizon is present in some pedons.

Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam, or loam with thin layers of sandy loam or loamy fine sand
Clay content: averages 18 to 25 percent
Sand content: averages 40 to 75 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

E and Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand and has lamellae and/or bands of sandy loam, loam, or fine sandy loam
Clay content: averages 10 to 12 percent
Sand content: averages 70 to 80 percent; 20 to 40 percent of the total sand content is fine sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid and ranges to neutral in the lower part

BC, CB or C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: stratified; commonly fine sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or loamy sand with thin strata of very fine sand or loam
Clay content: averages 4 to 10 percent
Sand content: averages more than 75 percent; more than 30 percent of the total sand content is fine sand
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral and ranges to moderately alkaline in the lower part

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amanda, Belmont, Belmore, Caprell, Chili, Cliftycreek, Conestoga, Crouse, Gallman, Greybrook, Hickory, High Gap, Hollinger, Kanawha, Kidder, Kosciusko, Leroy, Lumberton, Martinsville, Military, Mocksville, Ockley, Pignut, Relay, Richardville, Riddles, Senachwine, Skelton, Strawn, Wawaka, Wawasee, and Woodbine soils. Amanda, Belmore, Chili, Crouse, Gallman, Kidder, Kosciusko, LeRoy, Ockley, Relay, Richardville, Riddles, Senachwine, Strawn, and Wawasee soils have rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Belmont, High Gap, Lumberton, Military, Pignut, and Woodbine have a lithic contact at less than 152 cm (60 inches). Caprell, Conestoga, Hickory, Martinsville, Mocksville, and Skelton soils do not have lamellae or bands in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Cliftycreek soils average more than 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Greybrook soils average less than 40 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Hollinger soils are less than 102 cm (40 inches) to the base of the argillic horizon. Kanawha soils average more than 12 percent clay in the lower part of the series control section. Wawaka soils average less than 40 percent sand and more than 25 percent clay in the upper part of the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Princeton soils are on mainly on summits, shoulders, and backslopes of dunes and less commonly on treads of stream terraces. Slope gradient is commonly 3 to 18 percent, but the range is 0 to 60 percent. Princeton soils formed in more than 203 cm (80 inches) of eolian silt and fine sand. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 889 to 1168 mm (35 to 46 inches). Mean annual air temperature ranges from 11 to 14 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Alvin, Ayrshire, and Lyles soils. The well drained Alvin soils are on summits and shoulders of dunes. The somewhat poorly drained Ayrshire soils are in interdunal areas. The very poorly drained Lyles soils are in depressional areas and have a mollic epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is very low to medium on slopes less than 20 percent and high on slopes greater than 20 percent. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the solum and high or very high in the underlying material. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid in the solum and moderately rapid or rapid in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Areas with these soils are mainly used to grow corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa; vegetables and melons are grown in some areas. Native vegetation is mixed hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Indiana, east-central Illinois, and southwestern Ohio; MLRAs 111A, 111D, 114B, 115A, and 122. The type location is in MLRA 115A. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gibson County, Indiana, 1922.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 20 cm (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 152 cm (Bt, E and Bt horizons).

Representative data mapunit for this pedon is DMU ID 153353 in MO 11.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data on this pedon, S70IN84-2-(1-6), is available from the Purdue Soil Characterization Laboratory. Transect data is on file at the MLRA Project Office in Indianapolis.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.