LOCATION ARKTON MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Arkton clay on a convex west-facing 11 percent slope in a grass field at an elevation of 381 m (1,250 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.[15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches thick) ]
Bkg1--23 to 69 cm (9 to 27 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; about 5 percent gravel; few threads and masses of calcium carbonate; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions and few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.[15 to 51 cm (6 to 20 inches thick) ]
Bk--69 to 152 cm (27 to 60 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; about 8 percent gravel; few threads and masses of calcium carbonate; common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions and few fine faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) Fe concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Kandiyohi County, Minnesota; about 2 miles north and .5 mile west of Kandiyohi; 777 m (2,550 feet) west and 46 m (150 feet) south of the center of Sec. 34, T. 120 N., R. 34 W., USGS Spicer quadrange, lat. 45 degrees 09 minutes 37 seconds N., 94 degrees 56 minutes 25 seconds W. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 18 to 30 cm (7 to 12 inches) in thickness. Free carbonates typically occur throughout but the upper 25 cm (10 inches) may be neutral. Rock fragments comprise 1 to 10 percent by volume of the 0 to 152 cm ( 0 to 60 inch) series control section with shale fragments being the most common component. The 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 inch particle-size control section averages between 27 and 35 percent clay after removing clay size carbonates and 15 to 40 percent fine sand and coarser. Some subhorizons have up to 55 percent clay. The upper part of the particle-size control section has more than 30 percent clay.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is clay, silty clay, silty clay loam or clay loam. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
An AB horizon is present in some pedons.
The Bk or Bkg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 4. Redox features with chroma of 2 through 8 are present. It is clay, silty clay or clay loam. The calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 20 to 30 percent.
Where present, the 2Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Redox features with chroma of 2 through 8 are present. It is loam or clay loam. The calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 30 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the in Crippin, Floyd, Fostoria, Kensett, Merton, Nicollet, Ottosen, Readlyn, Snider, Stabbart and Wilmonton series. Crippin soils have less than 30 percent clay in the upper part of the particle-size control section and the weighted average of clay in the particle-size control section is less than 30 percent. Floyd soils formed in stratified material over firm till. Fostoria and Merton soils do not have free carbonates above 61 cm (24 inches). Kensett soils have a lithic contact within a depth of 102 cm (40 inches). Nicollet, Ottosen, Readlyn, and Snider soils have a B horizon leached of carbonates. Stabbart soils are drier in the soil moisture control section during the 120 days following summer solstice. Wilmonton soils do not have free carbonates above 51 cm (20 inches).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Arkton soils are on convex positions on shoulders within topography of moderate to high relief. Slope gradient ranges from 4 to 40 percent. They formed in a thin discontinuous fine textured mantle overlying firm till on moraines. The material was thought to be of the Des Moines lobe of the Late Wisconsinan Age, but some evidence indicates it may be "pre-Wisconsinan" in age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 9 degrees C ( 45 to 49 degrees F). The mean annual precipitation ranges from 584 to 711 mm (23 to 28 inches). Frost-free days range from 155 to 200. Elevation above sea level ranges from 320 to 366 m (1050 to 1200 feet).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Corvuso, Cosmos, Danielson, Kandiyohi, Lura, Newlondon, and Strout soils that comprise a hydrosequence. Poorly drained Cosmos soils are on nearly level, lower lying positions on the landscape. Poorly drained Corvuso soils are calcareous and are on rims bordering depressions. Poorly drained Danielson soils are on footslopes. Somewhat poorly drained Kandiyohi soils are on summits. Very poorly drained Lura soils are in closed depressions. Moderately well drained Newlondon soils do not have a mollic epipedon and are on shoulders. Moderately well drained Strout soils have a cambic horizon and are on summits, shoulders, and backslopes.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Perched seasonal high saturation occurs as high as 30 cm (1 foot) during spring and other high rainfall events in normal years. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 1.41 to 4.23 micrometers per second (.2 to .6 inches per hour). Surface runoff is medium to very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for corn, soybeans, and small grains. Native vegetation is tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Minnesota. Minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - zone from the surface to 23 cm ( 9 inches) (Ap horizon); cambic horizon - zone from 23 to 69 cm (9 to 27 inches) (Bk horizon); aquic subgroup-based on low chroma redox features in the Bk horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES Central File Code No. 3102 for laboratory results of typical pedon. Also refer to CFC #2891, 3548, 3325, 4520, and 4523. See parts of Jim Crum's thesis, University of Minnesota, 1984, on this Kandiyohi till that was previously not recognized.