LOCATION ABELL VAEstablished Series
Soils of the Abell series are very deep and moderately well drained with moderate permeability. They formed in colluvium or alluvium over residuum. They are in upland depressions, on footslopes, and along intermittent drainageways. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 42 inches. Mean annual temperature is above 59 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Aquic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Abell fine sandy loam - cultivated on a 2 to 7 percent slope. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 11 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, weak fine granular structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
E--11 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 19 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent angular quartz pebbles up to 1/4 inch in diameter; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--19 to 27 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; few very fine flakes of mica; 3 percent angular quartz pebbles up to 1 inch in diameter; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 30 inches thick)
2Bt3--27 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; common fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) mottles; moderate, medium and fine subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; many fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2Bt4--32 to 39 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6), and common fine prominent gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; weak and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; many fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
2C--39 to 60 inches; multicolored gray (10YR 6/1), yellowish red (5YR 4/6), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loam; massive; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few clay flows in upper part; many fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Hanover County, Virginia; approximately 3/4 mile north of the intersection of VA-722 and VA-631 and 200 feet east of VA-722.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to more than 60 inches. Depth to 2B horizons range from 24 to 48 inches. Depth to hard bedrock is more than 60 inches. Rock fragments average 0 to 15 percent by volume of the solum, but individual horizons are allowed to have up to 35 percent. The soil ranges from very strongly acid through moderately acid unless limed.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 2 through 6. Horizons with value of 3 are 1 to 4 inches thick. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 3 through 6. Textures are the same as those for the A horizon.
The BE or BA horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 through 6. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam. The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. In some pedons, the lower part of the Bt horizon is mottled without dominant matrix hue. The Bt horizon dominantly is sandy clay loam or clay loam and ranges to sandy loam, loam, or silty clay loam. The 2Bt horizon has hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 through 8, or it is mottled without dominant matrix color. 2Bt horizons are clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay. Gravelly layers are at or near the contact between the Bt and 2Bt horizons in some pedons. Some pedons have multiple discontinuities.
Some pedons have a 2BC horizon with textures similar to those of the 2Bt horizons. The 2BC horizon has hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 8, or it is mottled without dominant matrix hue.
The 2C horizon is highly variable in color and commonly does not have a dominant matrix color. It generally is loamy soil or saprolitic material.
COMPETING SERIES: The Altavista, Bertie, Tetotum and Winton soils are members of the same family. None of these soils have a lithologic discontinuity in the Bt horizons.
The Augusta, Johns, Starr, State, Wickham, and Whitwell series are similar soils in related families. Augusta soils have Bt horizons with dominant moist chromas of 2 or less. Starr soils do not have Bt horizons. State and Wickham soils do not have low chroma mottles within the upper 24 inches of their Bt horizons. Johns and Whitwell soils have siliceous mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Abell soils are nearly level to gently sloping in upland depressions, footslopes and along intermittent drainageways in the Piedmont. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. These soils formed in materials that have washed from associated soils on adjacent landscapes and in the underlying residuum. The mean annual temperature ranges from 59 to 68 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 46 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Appling, Cecil, Colfax, Durham, Granville, Louisburg, Madison, Mayodan, and Worsham soils. Appling, Cecil, Madison, and Mayodan soils are in a clayey family. Colfax soils have a fragipan. Durham and Granville soils do not have low chroma mottles in the upper 24 inches of their Bt horizons. Louisburg soils do not have continuous Bt horizons and have coarser texture. Worsham soils are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are cleared and used for growing corn, wheat, soybeans, truck crops, and pasture. The natural vegetation was forest of oaks, pine, and gum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia and possibly North Carolina. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Charlotte County, Virginia, 1970.
REMARKS: The soils now placed in the Abell series were formerly included in the Seneca series which is now inactive.
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation VA0056 ABELL 0- 7 59- 68 190-220 40- 46 350- 800SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness VA0056 NONE 2.0-3.5 APPARENT DEC-MAR 60-60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- VA0056 0-15 SL FSL 0- 0 85-100 5-18 - VA0056 0-15 SIL L 0- 0 85-100 10-27 - VA0056 0-15 LFS LS 0- 0 85-100 5-15 - VA0056 15-27 SCL CL SL 0- 0 75-100 18-35 - VA0056 27-39 C CL SICL 0- 5 75- 95 30-45 - VA0056 39-60 L SL SIL 0- 5 75-100 10-27 -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll VA0056 0-15 4.5- 6.0 1.-2. 0- 0 0.6- 6.0 LOW VA0056 0-15 4.5- 6.0 .5-2. 0- 0 0.6- 6.0 LOW VA0056 0-15 4.5- 6.0 .5-1. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0056 15-27 4.5- 6.0 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW VA0056 27-39 4.5- 6.0 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 MODERATE VA0056 39-60 4.5- 6.0 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 6.0 LOW