LOCATION ARGENT SC+AL NC VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, thermic Typic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Argent clay loam--forested
(Colors are for moist soil.)
A--0 to 5 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay loam; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Btg1--5 to 46 inches; gray (10YR 5/l) clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine and medium roots; common prominent clay films on faces of most peds and in old root channels; few fine flakes of mica; many medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), and common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/8) masses of iron accumulation; extremely acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg2--46 to 64 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of some peds; few fine flakes of mica; many medium prominent pale olive (5Y 6/3) iron depletions, and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 25 to more than 45 inches.)
BCg--64 to 76 inches; greenish gray (5G 6/1) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few fine flakes of mica; common medium prominent light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and gray (5Y 5/1) iron depletions, and few medium prominent yellowish red (5Y 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Cg--76 to 80 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) sandy loam; massive; friable; common fine flakes of mica; many medium prominent greenish gray (5G 6/1) iron depletions, and common medium prominent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Jasper County, South Carolina; 4 miles north of Hardeeville, 1.55 miles north of I-95 interchange with FM 88, 100 feet west of I-95 drainage ditch on west side of southbound lane.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid in the upper part of the profile, and moderately acid to moderately alkaline in the lower part of the profile. Some pedons have few to common oxide concretions or calcium carbonate concretions.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 0 to 2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam.
The E horizon, where present, has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y or it is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2, commonly with few to many masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow, brown, or red. It is clay, sandy clay, silty clay, clay loam or silty clay loam. Some pedons have coatings or pockets of loamy or sandy material.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, 5GY, 5G, 5B, 5BG, or is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. It commonly has few to many masses of iron accumulation in shades of red, brown, or yellow, or iron depletions in shades of gray. Texture is variable.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family. Bayboro, Bethera, Bladen, Cherokee, Coxville, Grifton, Meggett, and Yonges series are similar series in other families. Bayboro, Bethera, Bladen, and Coxville soils have a base saturation of less than 35 percent. Cherokee and Meggett soils have an abrupt texture change between the ochric epipedon and the argillic horizon. Grifton and Yonges soils are fine-loamy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Argent soils are on low lying areas of the lower Coastal Plain. Slope gradients are less than 2 percent. The soil formed in clayey marine sediments. The mean annual temperature ranges from 65 to 70 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 52 inches, and frost-free season ranges from 240 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Bayboro, Bethera, Bladen, Grifton, Meggett, and Yonges series plus the Cape Fear, Craven, Lenoir, Nemours, Okeetee, Pooler, Santee, Stono and Wahee series. Craven, Nemours, Lenoir, Okeetee, Pooler and Wahee soils are not wet. Cape Fear, Santee, and Stono soils have thick black surfaces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; ponded to very slow runoff; slow permeability. The water table is at or near the surface for 2 to 6 months in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forest of loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and water oak; understory in southern bayberry, pineland threeawn, and large gallberry. A small acreage is cleared and is used mostly for pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Coastal Plain of Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and possibly Georgia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jasper County, South Carolina; 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 5 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 5 to 64 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons)
Aquic conditions - endosaturation in the zone from 5 to 80 inches.
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation SC0019 ARGENT 0- 2 65- 70 240-280 45- 52 25- 250 SC0140 ARGENT 0- 2 65- 70 240-280 45- 52 25- 250SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness SC0019 NONE RARE 0-1.0 APPARENT NOV-APR 60-60 SC0140 NONE RARE - APPARENT - 60-60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- SC0019 0- 5 SL FSL 0- 0 98-100 5-20 10- 20 SC0019 0- 5 L CL 0- 0 98-100 15-35 10- 25 SC0019 0- 5 SIL SICL 0- 0 98-100 10-35 15- 27 SC0019 5-64 C SC SIC 0- 0 98-100 35-60 14- 25 SC0019 64-76 SCL CL SICL 0- 0 98-100 20-40 14- 25 SC0019 76-80 VAR - - - 14- 21 SC0140 0- 5 SL FSL 0- 0 98-100 5-20 10- 20 SC0140 0- 5 L CL 0- 0 98-100 15-35 10- 25 SC0140 0- 5 SIL SICL 0- 0 98-100 10-35 15- 27 SC0140 5-64 C SC SIC 0- 0 98-100 35-60 14- 25 SC0140 64-76 SCL CL SICL 0- 0 98-100 20-40 14- 21 SC0140 76-80 VAR - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll SC0019 0- 5 3.6- 6.0 1.-3. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW SC0019 0- 5 3.6- 6.0 1.-3. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW SC0019 0- 5 3.6- 6.0 1.-3. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW SC0019 5-64 3.6- 6.0 0.-.5 0- 0 0.06- 0.2 MODERATE SC0019 64-76 5.6- 8.4 0.-.5 0- 0 0.06- 0.6 MODERATE SC0019 76-80 - 0.-.5 - - SC0140 0- 5 3.6- 6.0 1.-3. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW SC0140 0- 5 3.6- 6.0 1.-3. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW SC0140 0- 5 3.6- 6.0 1.-3. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW SC0140 5-64 3.6- 6.0 0.-.5 0- 0 0.06- 0.2 MODERATE SC0140 64-76 5.6- 8.4 0.-.5 0- 0 0.06- 0.6 MODERATE SC0140 76-80 - 0.-.5 - -