LOCATION ATCHISON                KS

Established Series
CEW
10/2018

ATCHISON SERIES

The Atchison series consists of very deep well drained soils formed in eolian deposits from the Ogallala Formation on fan remnants and valley sides on River Valleys in the Central High Tablelands (MLRA 72). Slopes range from 1 to 9 percent. Mean annual temperature is 13 degrees C (56 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is 46 centimeters (18 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Atchison loam--in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 15 centimeters, (0 to 6 inches); brown (10YR 4/3), loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; friable, slightly hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots throughout; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 22 centimeters, 3 to 9 inches thick)

Bw1--15 to 33 centimeters, (6 to 13 inches); yellowish brown (10YR5/4), loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), moist, weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots throughout; common fine continuous tubular pores; discontinuous faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coats on faces of peds; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--33 to 43 centimeters, (13 to 17 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), moist, weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 46 centimeters, 0 to 18 inches thick)

Bk1--43 to 76 centimeters, (17 to 30 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist, moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout; 5 percent fine irregular carbonate threads throughout and 15 percent fine and medium irregular carbonate masses throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--76 to 94 centimeters, (30 to 37 inches); yellow (10YR 7/6), very fine sandy loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots throughout; many fine continuous tubular pores; 3 percent very coarse irregular carbonate masses throughout; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bk3--94 to 104 centimeters, (37 to 41 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/4), very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots throughout; many fine moderate continuity continuous tubular pores; 3 percent fine spherical extremely weakly cemented very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron-manganese concretions throughout; 1 percent fine and medium irregular extremely weakly cemented carbonate concretions throughout; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 25 to 114 centimeters, 10 to 45 inches)

BCk1--104 to 127 centimeters, (41 to 50 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/4), fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist; weak medium prismatic and weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine moderate continuity continuous tubular pores; 1 percent fine irregular carbonate masses throughout and 1 percent fine irregular carbonate concretions throughout; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

BCk2--127 to 147 centimeters, (50 to 58 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots; fine irregular iron-manganese concretions throughout; 5 percent fine and medium irregular carbonate concretions throughout; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the BCk horizons is 25 to 76 centimeters, 10 to 30 inches thick.)

2C1--147 to 170 centimeters, (58 to 67 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/4), loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), moist; loose; dark brown (10YR 3/3) black stains; 1 percent fine and medium irregular carbonate nodules throughout; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.

2C2--170 to 200 centimeters, (67 to 80 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), moist; loose; dark brown (10YR 3/3) black stains; 3 percent fine irregular carbonate nodules throughout; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline. (Combined thickness of the 2C horizons is 0 to 76 centimeters, 0 to 30 inches thick.)

TYPE LOCATION: Morton County, Kansas; 14 kilometers (9 miles) north and 2 kilometers (1.5 miles) west of Elkhart; 594 meters (1950 feet) north and 76 meters (250 feet) west of the southeast corner of section 6, T. 34S. R. 42W. (Elkhart North USGS topographic quad Latitude: 37 degrees 7 minutes 4.00 seconds north Longitude: 101 degrees 55 minutes 10.00 seconds west).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C (54 to 58 degrees F).
Particle-size control section: 18 to 34 percent clay
Depth to bedrock: deeper than 203 centimeters (80 inches)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 13 to 48 centimeters (5 to 15 inches)
Thickness of the ochric epipedon: 8 to 23 centimeters (3 to 9 inches)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 (dry) 3 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, clay loam or fine sandy loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bw or AB, BA horizon when present:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 (dry) 3 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 3
Texture: loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

Bk or 2Bk horizon when present:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 7 (dry) 4 to 6 (moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

2C or Ck, BCk, C horizons when present:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 7 (dry) 4 to 6 (moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy sand or sand
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Berthoud, Kachina, McRae, Sixmile, Teromote and Ziggy series.
Berthoud soils have hue redder than 7.5YR in the lower part of the B horizon.
Kachina soils have more than 5 percent rock fragments.
McRae, Teromote and Ziggy soils are cooler in the soil temperature control section during May through July.
Sixmile soils have a paralithic contact at 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: fans and valley sides
Slopes: 1 to 9 percent
Parent Material: reworked Ogallala Formation
Mean Annual Temperature: 12 to 13 degrees C, (54 to 58 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 40 to 50 centimeters (16 to 20 inches)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Happyditch, Otero, and Wagonbed series.
Happyditch soils are sandy and occur on flood plains.
Otero soils are coarse-loamy and occur in similar positions.
Wagonbed soils are fine-silty and occur on tablelands.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well drained
Runoff: medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are mainly used for rangeland with some areas used for crops.
Native vegetation is mixed grasses, yucca, and sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Kansas. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morton County, Kansas, 1996

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches) (A horizon).
When this horizon meets the color requirements of a mollic epipedon, it fails to meet the thickness requirements.
JCW- 07/2004 Updated the OSD with metric measurements changed temperature in geographic setting to meet mesic requirements. The opening paragraph was updated to include terraces and deleted erosional remnants. The type location was changed to better fit with lab data. Taxonomy was updated to haplustept using Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition.
TDC - 05/2018 Changed the parent material to better represent the series extent
TDC - 05/2018 Changed the terrace landform to valley sides to better represent the series extent

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.