LOCATION SOAKPAK                 AK

Tentative Series
Rev. DBS/SR
02/2022

SOAKPAK SERIES

These soils have very thin dark A1 horizons, dark yellowish brown B horizons and olive C horizons. Dry permafrost occurs at shallow depths.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Soakpak gravelly sandy loam - tundra (Colors are for moist conditions)

02--1 to 0 inches; black (5YR 2/1) finely divided organic materials; many 2 to 0 cm roots; abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 2 inches thick)

A1--0 to 0.5 inch; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sandy loam; weak fine 0 to 1 cm granular structure; very friable; many bleached sand grains; many roots; abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 1 inches thick)

B2--0.5 to 7 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; 1 to 18 cm weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

B3--7 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam; weak very 18 to 28 cm fine subangular blocky structure; friable; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

IIC--11 to 28 inches plus; olive (5Y 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam; weak fine 28 to 70 cm subangular blocky structure; friable; calcareous.

TYPE LOCATION: Anaktuvuk Area, Alaska. Approximately 1/2 mile northeast of the north end of Anaktuvuk airstrip.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 10 to 15 inches in thickness. Coarse fragments are rounded and make up 10 to 35 percent of the soil mass in the upper part of the profile, and 35 to 60 percent below the 10 inch depth. The soil temperature is always below 0 degrees C at a depth of 20 inches but ice crystals are usually absent because of low moisture. A few frost scars may occur on the surface. Colors in the B horizon have hues of 7.5YR or 10YR, a value of 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. The texture of the B horizon ranges from gravelly sandy loam to gravelly silt loam. The C horizon has colors in hues of 10YR to 5Y, values of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. The texture of the C horizon ranges from very gravelly sandy loam to very gravelly loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Basaltlake, Butchlake, Cuberant, Enentah, Garlet, Gromes, Storm, and Telay soils. The Basaltlake, Butchlake, Cuberant, Enentah, Garlet, Gromes, Storm, and Telay series have a presumed colder mean summer soil temperature.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Soakpak soils occur on hilly moraines. The regolith consists of very gravelly calcareous glacial drift. The climate is artic-continental, with long cold winters and short summers. The mean annual air temperature is less than 20 degrees F and mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Anaktuvuk, Kollutak, and Umiat soils. The Anaktuvuk soils are formed in very gravelly and sandy gray alluvium on nearly level floodplains. The Kollutuk soils are mottled and have a patterned surface. The Umiat soils are gleyed and mottled silt loams with thick 0 horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is moderately rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Arctic tundra vegetation. The vegetation includes lichens, mosses, dwarf shrubs, and a few grasses. The principal use is by wildlife, especially caribou.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Alaska. The series is probably of small extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES PROPOSED: Anaktuvuk Area, Alaska. 1969 (Source of name is Soakpak Mountain.)

OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 02/70.

This soil needs complete horizon description to define series concept.--DLM

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.