LOCATION ARGONNE            WI
Established Series
Rev. JRB-TAM-TWN
07/2009

ARGONNE SERIES


The Argonne series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils which formed in loamy till or glacial mudflow sediments. These soils are on drumlins and moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 760 millimeters. Mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Alfic Oxyaquic Fragiorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Argonne sandy loam, very stony (from an area of Argonne-Sarwet sandy loams, 1 to 6 percent slopes, very stony), on a northeast facing, convex slope of 4 percent, in a woodland, at an elevation of about 457 meters above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oa--0 to 5 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) broken face and rubbed, muck (sapric material which is a mat of partially decomposed forest litter); about 20 percent fibers and 5 percent rubbed; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.

E--5 to 13 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 5/2) sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; weak thick platy structure; friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bs1--13 to 23 centimeters; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bs2--23 to 38 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

E/B--38 to 74 centimeters; about 60 percent brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam (E), very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; moderate medium platy structure; friable; extends as tongues into or surrounds remnants of brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine and fine roots; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; about 5 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

B/Ex--74 to 99 centimeters; about 60 percent brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam (Bt); moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; penetrated by tongues of brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam (E), very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; tends to part along horizontal plates inherited from the parent material; few very fine and fine roots; common fine distinct and prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; about 10 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Btx--99 to 137 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; tends to part along horizontal plates inherited from the parent material; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; about 12 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

C--137 to 208 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; massive; friable; about 20 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 90A-Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess and Till, Northern Part, Forest County, Wisconsin subset; about 6.5 miles south of Armstrong Creek; located about 1,250 feet west and 850 feet north of the southeast corner of section 26, T. 36 N., R. 16 E.; USGS Goodman SW topographic quadrangle; lat. 45 degrees 33 minutes 58 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 27 minutes 05 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the fragipan--50 to 100 centimeters
Clay content in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--5 to 18 percent
Sand content in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--45 to 75 percent
Rock fragment content--averages less than 35 percent
Depth to redoximorphic features--accumulations are below the spodic horizon and within 100 centimeters

O horizon:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR or is neutral
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--0 to 3
Texture--partially decomposed forest litter
Reaction--pH 3.5 to 6.5
Thickness--0 to 8 centimeters

Most areas have stones on the surface

A horizon (when present):
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam
Clay content--4 to 15 percent
Sand content--55 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 20 percent, gravel, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology; 0 to 10 percent, cobbles, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology
Reaction--pH 3.5 to 6.5
Thickness--0 to 13 centimeters

Most areas have stones on the surface

Ap horizon:
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value--3 or 4
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam
Clay content--4 to 15 percent
Sand content--55 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 20 percent, gravel, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology; 0 to 10 percent, cobbles, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology
Reaction--pH 3.5 to 6.5
Thickness--0 to 25 centimeters

Most areas have stones on the surface

E horizon:
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 7
Chroma--2 or 3 (colors of 4/3 and 5/3, moist have value of 7 or more, dry)
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam
Clay content--3 to 10 percent
Sand content--55 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 20 percent, gravel, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology; 0 to 10 percent, cobbles, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology
Reaction--pH 3.5 to 6.5
Thickness--0 to 13 centimeters

Bs horizon:
Hue--5YR or 7.5YR
Value--3 to 6 (matrix hue of 7.5YR have value of 3 to 5)
Chroma--4 to 6(matrix hue of 7.5YR has chroma of 4)
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or the gravelly analogs of these textures
Clay content--4 to 12 percent
Sand content--50 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 20 percent, gravel, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology; 0 to 10 percent, cobbles, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology
Reaction--pH 3.5 to 6.5
Thickness--15 to 40 centimeters

E' horizon (when present) and E' part of the E/B, E/Bx, B/E, and B/Ex horizons:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 7
Chroma--2 or 3 (colors of 4/3 or 5/3, moist have value of 7 or more, dry)
Texture--sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or the gravelly or cobbly analogs of these textures
Clay content--3 to 10 percent
Sand content--50 to 80 percent
Rock fragment content--5 to 35 percent, gravel, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology; 0 to 20 percent, cobbles, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology
Reaction--pH 3.5 to 6.5
Thickness--0 to 25 centimeters

Bt part of E/B, E/Bx, B/E, and B/Ex horizons, Btx horizon, or Bt horizon (when present), or BCx or BC horizon (when present):
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value3 to 6
Chroma--3 to 6 (value and chroma of 3 do not occur together)
Texture--sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, or cobbly sandy loam
Clay content--4 to 18 percent
Sand content--45 to 75 percent
Rock fragment content--5 to 35 percent, gravel, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology; 0 to 20 percent, cobbles, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology
Reaction--pH 3.5 to 6.5
Thickness of the glossic horizon--4 to 30 centimeters
Thickness of the Bt horizon--0 to 25 centimeters
Thickness of the Btx horizon--0 to 50 centimeters
Thickness of the BCx or BC horizon--0 to 25 centimeters

Some pedons have thin subhorizons of loamy sand, gravelly loamy sand, or cobbly loamy sand

C horizon:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value3 to 6
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--sandy loam, loamy sand, sand, the gravelly or cobbly analogs of these textures, or is stratified with these textures
Clay content--3 to 10 percent
Sand content--60 to 90 percent
Rock fragment content--5 to 35 percent, gravel, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology; 0 to 20 percent, cobbles, dominantly igneous-mixed lithology
Reaction--pH 5.1 to 6.5

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wabeno series.
Wabeno--have a sand content of less than 30 percent in the upper two thirds of the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--loamy till or glacial mudflow sediments
Landform--drumlins and moraines
Slope--0 to 15 percent
Elevation--335 to 595 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--3 to 7 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--660 to 865 millimeters
Frost-free period--110 to 180 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Champion, Cable, Gay, Laona, Monico, Padus, Padwet, Sarona, and Sarwet soils.
Champion--are on landscape positions similar to those of Argonne soils and do not have an argillic horizon
Cable--are on lower landscape positions in depressions and drainageways and are frequently saturated between the soil surface and a depth of 0.15 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Gay--are on lower landscape positions in depressions and are frequently saturated between the soil surface and a depth of 0.15 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Laona--are on higher landscape positions on steeper slopes and do not have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 1.8 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Monico--are on lower landscape positions in depressions and drainageways and have a frequently saturated zone between depths of 0.15 and 0.45 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Padus--are on higher landscape positions on outwash plains and stream terraces and do not have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 1.8 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Padwet--are on landscape positions similar to those of Argonne soils on outwash plains and stream terraces and have a sand content that averages more than 85 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Sarona--are on landscape positions similar to those of Argonne soils and do not have a fragipan
Sarwet--are on landscape positions similar to those of Argonne soils and do not have a fragipan

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--moderately well drained--a frequently saturated zone occurs between depth of 0.45 and 1 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation, this saturation is considered perched
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second above the fragipan, 0.42 to 1.41 micrometers per second in the fragipan, and 4.23 to 42.34 micrometers per second below the fragipan

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are forested. Some small areas are cleared and cultivated. The principal crops are corn, oats, and hay. The native vegetation is northern hardwoods, with principal species of sugar maple, American basswood, yellow birch, white ash, and quaking aspen.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section--Western Lake section
MLRA--Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess and Till, Northern Part (90A)
LRR K; northern Wisconsin
Extent--small

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota; MLRA SSO 10-9 (Rhinelander, Wisconsin).

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Forest County, Wisconsin, 1995.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 74 to 124 centimeters; series control section--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 150 centimeters.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon--the zone from a depth of 5 to 13 centimeters (E horizon);
albic horizon--the zone from a depth of 5 to 13 centimeters (E horizon);
spodic horizon--the zone from a depth of 13 to 38 centimeters (Bs1 and Bs2 horizons);
glossic horizon--the zone from a depth of 38 to 99 centimeters (E/B and B/Ex horizons);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 74 to 137 centimeters (B/Ex and Btx horizons);
fragipan--the zone from a depth of 74 to 137 centimeters (B/Ex and Btx horizons);
udic moisture regime.

Oxyaquic subgroup based on redoximorphic accumulations and saturation below the spodic horizon but within 1.0 meter for 20 or more consecutive days or 30 or more cumulative days during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation.

Argonne soils have a glossic horizon (E/B or B/E horizons, or both). Horizonation below the spodic horizon has a wide range depending on the extent to which eluviation has occurred and the depth to the fragipan. Therefore, there can be E/B, E/Bx, B/E, or B/Ex horizons singly or in combination, with or without Bt, Btx, BC, or BCx horizons.

Cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data from NSSL.

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska-user pedonids 88WI041002, 90WI041005, and 90WI041012 (http://ssldata.sc.egov.usda.gov/).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.