LOCATION AUTEN IN

Established Series
Rev. DAG-RWN
09/2012

AUTEN SERIES

The Auten series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in loamy and sandy outwash on outwash plains, terraces, and moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 991 mm (39 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Aquollic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Auten loam, on a less than 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 223 meters (731 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]

Bt1--23 to 46 cm (9 to 18 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 2 percent fine shale fragments and 3 percent gravel; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. [15 to 66 cm (6 to 26 inches) thick]

Bt2--46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common coarse faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 2 percent fine shale fragments and 3 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 13 cm (5 inches) thick]

Bg--56 to 86 cm (22 to 34 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 10 percent shale fragments and 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. [13 to 76 cm (5 to 30 inches) thick]

BC1--86 to 102 cm (34 to 40 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) loamy coarse sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 5 percent shale fragments and 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

BC2--102 to 190 cm (40 to 75 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 5 percent shale fragments and 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

BC3--190 to 203 cm (75 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sand; single grain; loose; few fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 2 percent shale fragments and 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: St. Joseph County, Indiana; about 2.5 miles northwest of Lydick; 1,370 feet north and 90 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 28, T. 38 N., R. 1 E.; USGS Lydick, IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 42 minutes 43.5 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 25 minutes 41.9 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 547558 easting and 4617973 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 51 to 89 cm (20 to 35 inches)
Depth to carbonates: may be present at depths greater than 183 cm (6 feet)

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent shale or gravel
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: clay loam or sandy clay loam, or their gravelly analogues; a sandy loam layer less than 13 cm (5 inches) thick may be present in the lower part
Rock fragment content: 1 to 20 percent shale or gravel
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

Bg or Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: l to 4
Texture: sand, loamy sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand, or their gravelly analogues; usually stratified
Sand content: more than 75 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 20 percent shale or gravel
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

BC or BCg horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: l to 4
Texture: stratified sand, loamy sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand, or their gravelly analogues
Sand content: more than 75 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 20 percent shale or gravel
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Binghampton series. Binghampton soils have less than 75 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Auten soils are on outwash plains, terraces, and moraines that have a planar or convex surface. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Auten soils formed in loamy and sandy outwash. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 737 to 1016 mm (29 to 40 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 8.9 to 11.1 degrees C (48 to 52 degrees F). Frost-free period is 130 to 170 days. Elevation is 197 to 259 meters (650 to 850 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alida, Brady, Coupee, Quinn, Rensselaer, and Tracy soils. Alida and Brady soils are on similar positions but do not have contrasting textures. Coupee and Tracy are well drained soils on slightly higher elevations and formed in similar materials as Auten soils. Quinn soils are poorly drained and are on lower elevations. Tracy soils have less clay in the B horizon and have a lighter colored surface layer.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from 15 to 61 cm (0.5 to 2.0 feet) between November and May in normal years.
Potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the loamy materials and high or very high in the underlying sandy materials. Permeability is moderate in the loamy materials and rapid in the underlying sandy materials.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are mostly cropped. Principal crops are corn, soybeans, small grain, and hay. Native vegetation is mixed forest and grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 98 and 111C in northern Indiana. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Joseph County, Indiana, 2001.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from the surface to 9 inches (Ap horizon); fits the definition of a mollic epipedon since the thickness is 1/3 or more the total thickness between the mineral surface and the base of the argillic horizon. However, it is not a Mollisol because the Bg and BC horizons above a depth of 125 cm have less than 50 percent base saturation.
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 23 to 56 cm (9 to 22 inches) (Bt horizon).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in all horizons below 23 cm (9 inches).

NASIS Data Mapunit ID 401618 represents the typical pedon.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data for the typical pedon (S01IN-141-003) is being analyzed at the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE. Transect data (T01IN-141-141) is on file at the MLRA project office in Plymouth, IN. Transect shows 100 percent Auten soils.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.