LOCATION ABSAROKEE MT+CO
Established Series
Rev. CAM-JCK
02/2022
ABSAROKEE SERIES
The Absarokee series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium or alluvium over residuum from sedimentary rock. These soils are on sedimentary plains, hills, dip slopes, scarp slopes, eroded fan remnants, and escarpments. Slopes are from 0 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 406 mm, and mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Absarokee loam, in grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 10 cm, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary.
A2--10 to 20 cm, brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; common fine and few medium pores; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt coats on vertical faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 18 to 36 cm)
Bt1--20 to 36 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; common fine tubular pores; dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic stains and many distinct clay films on all faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.5); diffuse boundary.
Bt2--36 to 58 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on all faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 15 to 50 cm)
Bk--58 to 66 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and few fine calcium carbonate masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 51 cm thick)
Cr--66 to 94 cm; shattered sandstone and shale with roots matted along fractures; moderately cemented. (0 to 30 cm thick)
R--94 cm; hard sandstone interbedded with semiconsolidated shale; strongly cemented to indurated.
TYPE LOCATION: Yellowstone County, Montana; 366 meters east and 244 meters north of the SW corner of sec. 28, T. 3 S., R. 28 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 4.4 to 8.0 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 36 cm
Depth to lithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
A horizons
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, or silty clay
Clay content: 20 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 25 percent gravel or channers; 0 to 25 percent cobbles and stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
Bt1 horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 10 percent gravel or channers; 0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bt2 horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 10 percent gravel or channers; 0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 30 percent gravel or channers; 0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Acree (CO) - are very deep; have hues redder than 7.5YR
Barela (NM) - are deep to a lithic contact; do not have a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Capillo (NM) - are deep to a paralithic contact; do not have a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Dandrea (AZ) - do not have a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Delson (CO) - are very deep; do not have a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Ekah (MT) - are very deep
Herm (CO) - are very deep; do not have a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Morapos (CO) - are very deep; have less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the Bk horizon
Moreno (NM) - are very deep; have hues redder than 7.5YR
Nortez (CO) - do not have a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation; have hues redder than 7.5YR
Pramiss (CO) - have less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the Bk horizon; have hues redder than 7.5YR
Ricot (CO) - are very deep; have a lithologic discontinuity
Tamaneen (MT) - are very deep; have a lithologic discontinuity
Tukuhnik (UT) - are deep to a lithic contact; have hues redder than 7.5YR
Work (MT) - are very deep; have less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the Bk horizon
Zau (CO) - do not have a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - sedimentary plains, hills, dip slopes, scarp slopes, eroded fan remnants, and escarpments
Elevation - 914 to 1,829 meters
Slope - 0 to 50 percent.
Parent material - colluvium or alluvium over residuum from sedimentary rock
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; and warm summers
Mean annual air temperature - 3.9 to 7.2 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation - 356 to 483 mm
Frost-free period - 70 to 135 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Absarokee soils are used mainly as rangeland and for dryland crops. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, rough fescue, green needlegrass, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Absarokee soils are of moderate extent in central Montana and Colorado. MLRAs - 43B, 44B, 46, 48A, 58A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Judith Basin County (Judith Basin Area), Montana, 1963.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 20 cm (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 20 to 58 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - at 66 cm (Cr horizon)
Lithic contact - at 94 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 20 to 58 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Absarokee soils have an ustic moisture regime and a frigid temperature regime.
Note: The range in thickness for the Bk horizon and the calcium carbonate equivalent in the range of characteristics allow for a calcic horizon. The presence of a diagnostic calcic horizon needs to be investigated across the extent of the series.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Records - MT0077, MT0194, MT0144. NSSL S56MT-111-8.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.