LOCATION ARKONA MI

Established Series
Rev. JEF-WEF
08/2012

ARKONA SERIES

The Arkona series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in glaciofluvial deposits and in the underlying clayey till or lacustrine deposits on lake plains, outwash plains, or ground moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 7.8 degrees C (46 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over clayey, mixed, semiactive, mesic Alfic Epiaquods

TYPICAL PEDON: Arkona loamy sand, on a west-facing, 2 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 25 cm (10 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]

E--25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand; single grain; loose; many roots; slightly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. [0 to 18 cm (7 inches) thick]

Bs1--30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand; single grain; loose; many reddish brown (5YR 4/4) chunks of ortstein; common roots; few distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; slightly acid; gradual broken boundary.

Bs2--38 to 53 cm (15 to 21 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sand; single grain; loose; few roots; common fine and medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; few medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bs horizon is 10 to 89 cm (4 to 35 inches).]

E'--53 to 89 cm (21 to 35 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; single grain; loose; few roots; many fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 41 cm (16 inches) thick]

2Btg--89 to 104 cm (35 to 41 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very firm; few faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay films on faces of peds; common medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron; about 2 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. [10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) thick]

2Cg--104 to 152 cm (41 to 60 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay; massive; very firm; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron; about 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Gratiot County, Michigan; 1 mile southwest of Ashley; 1620 feet west and 50 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 13, T. 9 N., R. 2 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the lithologic discontinuity (2Bt horizon): 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent throughout

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sandy loam
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sandy loam
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Bhs horizon, where present:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3
Chroma: 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Bs horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

E' horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

In some pedons the E' occurs as thick coatings on the faces of peds in the upper part of the 2Bt horizon.

2Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam; in some pedons the first subhorizon is sandy loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) thick
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

2B/E horizon, where present:
2Bt part:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam;
E part:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand

2C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Closely related are the Allendale and Fibre soils which are frigid.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Arkona soils are on lake plains, outwash plains, or ground moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. They formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits and in the underlying clayey till or lacustrine materials. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 914 mm (28 to 36 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 6.7 to 8.9 degrees C (44 to 48 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Arkona soils are associated in the landscape with Sickles, Ithaca, Lenawee, and Pert soils. The poorly drained or very poorly drained Sickles series is in a drainage sequence with the somewhat poorly drained Arkona series. The Ithaca, Lenawee, and Pert soils are in areas where the clayey material is at the surface.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 30 to 61 cm (1 to 2 feet) between November and May in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is medium or high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the sandy material and low in the clay material. Permeability of the sandy upper solum is rapid while the clayey lower portion is very slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are used for the production of small grains, corn, soybeans, field beans, or alfalfa-grass hay. Natural vegetation is mixed hardwood, predominantly American elm, white ash, and swamp white oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 96, 98, and 99 in the southern half of lower Michigan. This series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gratiot County, Michigan, 1975.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 25 cm (10 inches) (Ap horizon).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) and from 53 to 89 cm (21 to 35 inches) (E and E' horizons).
Spodic horizon: from a depth of 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 inches) (Bs1 horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 89 to 104 cm (35 to 41 inches) (2Btg horizon).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.