LOCATION ASCALON CO+MT NE SD WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ascalon fine sandy loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; 3 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 centimeters (3 to 8 inches) thick)
BA--10 to 18 centimeters (4 to 7 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, very friable; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 3 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches) thick)
Bt1--18 to 36 centimeters (7 to 14 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocks; very hard, very friable; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; 3 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--36 to 46 centimeters (14 to 18 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocks; very hard, very friable; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (Combined Bt horizons is 20 to 46 centimeters (8 to 18 inches) thick)
Bk1--46 to 64 centimeters (18 to 25 inches); light gray (2.5Y 7/2 ) loam, light olive brown 2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; concretions, thin seams and streaks of calcium carbonate; few faint clay films on faces of some peds; 5 percent pebbles, strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 41 centimeters (4 to 16 inches) thick)
Bk2--64 to 152 centimeters (25 to 60 inches); pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; 5 percent pebbles; concretions, thin seams and streaks of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Colorado; on North side of Highway 34, five miles east of Akron, about 695 meters (2,280 feet) North and 30 meters (100 feet) east of the southwest corner of Sec. 8, T. 2 N., R. 51 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 15 degrees C (47 to 58 degrees F).
Mean summer soil temperature: 15 to 26 degrees C (59 to 78 degrees F).
Mollic epipedon: thickness ranges from 18 to 51 centimeters (7 to 20 inches)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 20 to 76 centimeters (8 to 30 inches)
Depth to the base of the Bt horizon: 38 to 76 centimeters (15 to 30 inches)
Organic carbon: ranges from .6 to 2 percent in the mollic epipedon and decreases uniformly with depth.
Rock fragments: range from 0 to 15 percent but are usually less than 5 percent.
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
Structure: primarily granular or subangular blocky
Consistence: soft or slightly hard
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.6).
Bt horizons:
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Silt content: 5 to 30 percent
Sand content: 50 to 75 percent (more than 35 percent is fine sand or coarser, but with only minor amounts of medium to coarse angular granitic sand.
Reaction: neutral through slightly alkaline
Bk horizons:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and loam.
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Coarse fragment content: variable range below 40 inches.
C horizon: if present,
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy fine sand, sandy loam, and sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Asparas,
Belfon,
Bresser,
Cedak,
Charkiln,
Critchell,
Dagflat,
Datil,
Featherlegs,
Forgan,
Hargreave,
Harlan,
Hemingford,
Hiarc,
Kirtley,
Lavate,
Loarc,
Moskee,
Noden,
Palmer Canyon,
Recluse,
Satanta,
Shalona,
Sitcan,
Sugardee,
Wages and
Wolf series.
Asparas soils lack the sandy loam or loamy sand and the calic horizons
Belfon soils have a control section that has less than 35 percent fine sand or courser and less than 50 percent total sand
Bresser, Critchell, Lavate, and Noden soils lack horizons containing secondary carbonates
Cedak, Dagflat, Hargreave, Hemingford, and Kirtley, soils have a lithic or paralithic contact above a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Charkiln soils do not have any calcium carbonates within the top 20 inches.
Datil soils have calcic horizons.
Featherlegs soils have loamy skeletal horizons at a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Forgan soils formed in eolian material
Harlan soils have Hues of 5YR or redder
Hiarc and Loarc soils do not have secondary carbonates in the Bt horizons
Moskee (WY): need further study to compete with the Ascalon series
Palmer Canyon soils have loamy-sketetal substratums above 102 centimeters (40 inches).
Satanta, Shalona, Sugardee, and Recluse soils contain less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand and less than 50 percent total sand
Sitcan soils have an average of less then 35 percent fine and course sand
Wages and Wolf have solums which are usually less than 38 centimeters (15 inches) thick
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: thick, moderately coarse textured, calcareous material.
Landform: hills and plains
Slope: 0 to 25 percent
Elevation: 1219 to 1829 meters (4000 to 6000 feet).
Mean annual precipitation: 33 to 43 centimeters (13 to 17 inches), with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring and summer.
Mean annual temperature: 10 to 12 degrees C (49 to 53 degrees F).
Average summer temperature: 20 to 23 Degree C (68 to 73 degrees F).
Frost-free season: about 130 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Jayem,
Manter,
Platner, and
Vona soils.
Manter, Jayem and Vona soils have a coarse-loamy control section
Platner soils have fine textured Bt horizons and have an abrupt textural boundary between the A and B horizons
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: high
Runoff: low to high
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated
These soils are used as dry and irrigated croplands or for grazing.
Native vegetation is chiefly short grasses, predominantly blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming in MLRA's 67 and 69. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cheyenne County (The Cheyenne Soil Conservation District), Colorado, 1940.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches)
Argillic horizon: 18 to 46 centimeters (7 to 18 inches)
Last updated by the state 2/94.
Modified by MLRA Office-5 on 1/11/2000 to correct typographical mistakes in the color hue for the C horizon. In addition, the series was formatted to semi-tab.
Modified by Lee Neve on 1/2002 to include moist colors and sandy clay loam in the Bk.
Modified by LM and JCR in 9/2005 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.