LOCATION ANAJUK AK
Established Series
SDB/MJS
08/2026
ANAJUK SERIES
Depth class: shallow
Drainage class: very poorly drained
Parent material: organic material over eolian sands
Landscape: coastal plains
Landform: patterned ground
Microfeature: low relief trough on-high center polygons
Slope: 0 to 4 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 130 mm (5 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -11 degrees C (12 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 22 to 82 days
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, pergelic Glacic Histoturbels
TYPICAL PEDON: Anajuk peat in sedge and sphagnum covered low relief trough between high centered polygons at an elevation of 48 meters (155 ft)
Oi--0 to 17 cm (0 to 7 in); peat, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) rubbed moist; nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; very strongly acid, (pH 4.5); clear smooth boundary (14 to 21 cm, 6 to 8 in)
Oe--17 to 22 cm (7 to 9 in); mucky peat, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) rubbed moist; nonsticky, nonplastic; common, very fine, and fine roots throughout; moderately acid, (pH 5.7); abrupt smooth boundary (5 to 15 cm, 2 to 6 in)
Cg--22 to 32 cm (9 to 13 in); sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) rubbed moist; massive; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; neutral, (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary (10 to 20 cm, 4 to 8 in)
Cg/Oejjf--32 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in); mucky peat, loamy sand; massive; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; neutral (pH 6.6); very abrupt smooth boundary (7 to 50 cm, 3 to 20 in)
Wf--38 to 150 cm (15 to 59 in); water; slightly alkaline, (pH 7.5).
TYPE LOCATION: North Slope Borough County, Alaska: latitude 69.97386, longitude -153.05445, Datum WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: aquic
Soil temperature regime: gelic
Mean annual soil temperature: -10 to -6 degrees C. (14to 21 degrees F)
Thickness of organic material: 19 to 30 cm (7 to 14 in)
Thickness of histic epipedon:19 to 36 cm (7 to 14 in)
Depth to cryoturbation: 29 to 56 cm (11 to 22 in)
Depth to permafrost: 29 to 56 cm (11 to 22 in)
Depth to glacic horizon: 36 to 106 cm (14 to 42 in)
Oi and Oe:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: Slightly decomposed organic material, mucky peat, or muck
Organic matter: 49 to 83 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to slightly acid (pH 3.5 to 6.5)
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: sand, loamy fine sand
Sand: 88 to 99 percent
Silt: 0.5 to 3 percent
Clay: 0 to 9 percent
Rock fragments: 0
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1 percent
Reaction class: slightly acid to neutral (pH 6.1 to 7.3)
Cg/Oejjf horizon:
Cg material: hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 2
O material: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 to 3, chroma of 1 to 3
Texture: loamy sand, sand, loamy sand
Sand: 78 to 91percent
Silt: 5 to 12 percent
Clay: 4 to 10 percent
Organic matter: 6 to 10 percent
Reaction class: slightly acid to neutral (pH 6.1 to 7.3)
Wf horizon:
Reaction class: slightly alkaline (pH 7.4 to 7.8)
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 0 to 100 meters (0 to 330 ft)
Parent material: organic material over eolian sands
Landform: patterned ground
Slopes: 0 to 4 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 100 to 150 mm (4 to 6 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -12 to -11degrees C. (10 to 12 degrees F)
Frost free period: 22 to 82 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arrakis, Bodfish,
Inigok, Nuiqsut, Pingok, Poleakoon, and Teshekpuk soils.
Arrakis soils are excessively drained, lack permafrost, have an ochric epipedon, and occur on top of dunes and meander scrolls.
Bodfish soils are somewhat poorly drained, lack permafrost, have an ochric epipedon, and occur on flood plains.
Inigok soils are poorly drained, lack a glacic horizon, and occur on low relief domes on high-center polygons.
Nuiqsut soils are poorly drained, are organic soils, lack a glacic horizon, and occur on the center of low center polygons.
Pingok soils are organic soils and occur on the high relief troughs of high-center polygons.
Poleakoon soils lack cryoturbation, lack a glacic horizon, and occur on string bog, depressions, and drainageways.
Teshekpuk soils are well drained, have a mollic epipedon, lack permafrost, and occur on longitudinal dunes.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: very poorly
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: High in the Oi and Oe horizons, very high I the Cg horizon, low in the Cg/Oejjf and Wf horizons.
Permeability: Rapid in the Oi and Oe horizon, very rapid in the Cg horizon, very slow in the Cg/Oejjf and Wf horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: Sphagnum moss and Bigelow's sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 246 Artic Coastal Plain
Extent: moderate
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska
SERIES ESTABLISHED: National Petroleum Reserve-Beaufort Coastal Plain Area, Alaska, 2025
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Particle size control section: 47 to 122 cm (19 to 48 in)
Histic epipedon: 0 to 20 cm (7 to 14 in)
Reduced matrix: 20 to 38 cm (8 to 15 in)
Cryoturbation: 30 to 38 (12 to 15 in)
Permafrost: 30 to 150 (12 to 59 in)
Glacic layer: 38 to 150 (15 to 59 in)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
User pedon Id: 2023AK185801
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.