LOCATION ALCOA TN+ALEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, parasesquic, thermic Rhodic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Alcoa loam - pasture.(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap-- 0 to 7 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine roots; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
BA-- 7 to 13 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; few faint films on faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1-- 13 to 20 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2-- 20 to 30 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct films on faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Bt3-- 30 to 62 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine dark brown concretions; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 40 inches thick)
Bt4-- 62 to 74 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) sandy clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Monroe County, Tennessee; 1.5 miles northeast of Hiwassee College; 600 feet north of Bat Creek; 50 feet north of graveled road and 100 feet east of barn.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 50 to more than 90 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Base saturation in the Bt horizon ranges from about 8 to 25 percent. Soil reaction is very strongly acid strongly acid except where limed. Rock fragments are mostly gravels, pebbles, or cobbles of sandstone and shale and range from 0 to 15 in each horizon.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or silt loam.
The AB or BA horizon, where present, has hue of 10R or 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture of the fine earth fraction is sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or silt loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10R or 2.5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 3 to 6. Hue of 5YR is allowed if it occupies less than 50 percent of the colors in the upper 40 inches of the Bt. Value of 4 or 5 is also allowed below the upper 40 inches. Some pedons have brown or yellow mottles in the lower part. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is clay loam, clay, sandy clay, or sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series currently in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alcoa soils are on gently sloping to moderately steep foot slopes, stream terraces, and benches. Slopes are dominantly 2 to 15 percent, but range from 2 to 25 percent. The soils formed in alluvium and colluvium from soils formed from reddish calcareous sandstone or quartzose limestone. At a site about 15 miles from the type location, the average annual air temperature is 59.5 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Coghill (tentative) Neubert, Red Hills (tentative), Steekee, and Tellico series. Neubert soils are on adjacent narrow flood plains and drainageways. Coghill, Red Hills, Steekee and Tellico soils are on adjacent uplands.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the soil is now cleared and used for growing corn, small grains, tobacco, hay, and pasture. The original forest consisted chiefly of oaks, maples, hickories, yellow poplar, elms, and beech.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Southern Appalachian Ridges and Valleys in east Tennessee, northeast Alabama and possibly, northwest Georgia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Knox County, Tennessee; 1948.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons in this profile are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 7 inches
Argillic horizon: 7 to 74 inches
Rhodic feature: Dark red colors in the upper 40 inches of the argillic horizon.
SIR = TN0056