LOCATION BRIMSTONE LA

Established Series
Rev. JLD-RM
02/2015

BRIMSTONE SERIES

The Brimstone series consists of deep, poorly drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in loamy fluviomarine deposits that are high in exchangeable sodium of late Pleistocene age. These soils are on broad flats or depressions. Slopes ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 1600 mm 63 (in), and mean annual air temperature is about 20 degrees C (68 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, superactive, thermic Glossic Natraqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Brimstone silt loam on a 0.2 percent smooth slope in a cultivated field.Colors are for moist soil).

Ap--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weakfine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; common fine pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron as stains in pores and on faces of peds; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Thickness of the Ap horizon is 10 to 18 cm [4 to 7 in])

E--15 to 41 cm (6 to 16 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure; firm, brittle; few fine roots; common fine pores; few patches and streaks of light gray silt; common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron as stains on faces of prisms; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary. (Thickness of the E horizon is 15 to 61 cm [6 to 24 in])

E/Btng--41 to 69 cm (16 to 27 in); about 60 percent tongues of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; firm, brittle (E); about 40 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; firm, brittle (Bt); weak coarse prismatic structure; friable; few fine roots; few distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron manganese concretions; common dark gray clay bands and few streaks and pockets of light gray silt in E material; neutral; gradual irregular boundary. (Thickness of the E/Btng horizon is 0 to 33 cm [0 to 13 in])

Btng/E--69 to 99 cm (27 to 39 in); about 65 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam (Bt); weak coarse prismatic structure; friable; few fine roots; few discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; about 35 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; massive, firm, brittle (E); few fine and medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; slightly alkaline; gradual irregular boundary. (Thickness of the Btng/E horizon is 15 to 41 cm [6 to 16 in])

Btng1--99 to 132 cm (39 to 52 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; few fine pores; common thin discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; few fine and medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; few streaks of light gray silt; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; few medium and coarse calcium carbonate concretions; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness of the Btng horizon is 25 to 78 cm [10 to 31 in] thick)

Btng2--132 to 178 cm (52 to 70 in); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; few medium calcium carbonate concretions; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana; 1 mile east of Gillis; 240 feet west of irrigation canal; USGS topographic quadrangle: Moss Bluff; Latitude: 30 degrees, 22 minutes, 13.94 seconds N; Longitude: 93 degrees, 11 minutes, 0.25 seconds W; Datum: WGS84. NE1/4NE1/4, sec. 16, T. 8 S., R. 8 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Solum thickness: 102 to 254 cm (40 to 100 in)
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 15 to 30 within the upper 15 cm (6 in) of the natric horizon or within 41 cm (16 in) of the soil surface. Exchangeable sodium saturation decreases with depth and it is typically less than 15 percent below depths of 132 cm (52 in).

Ap or A Horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or very fine sandy loam
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline (5.1 to 7.8)

E Horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or very fine sandy loam
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline (5.6 to 8.4)

E/Btng Horizon:
E part: amount-50 to 70 percent
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7
Chroma: 1 or 2

Bt Part: amount-30 to 50 percent
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2

Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Redox concentrations: amount-few to many, shades-brown or yellow
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-few or common; kind-concretions
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline (5.6 to 8.4)

Btng/E Horizon:
Bt part: amount-60 to 85 percent
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2

E Part: amount-15 to 40 percent
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2

Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Redox concentrations: amount-few to many, shades-brown or yellow
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-few or common; kind-concretions
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline (5.6 to 8.4)

Btng Horizons:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Redox concentrations: amount-common or many, shades-brown or yellow
Redox depletions: amount-few to many, shades-gray
Iron-manganese concentrations: amount-few or common; kind-concretions
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-none to common, kind-concretions
Other features: Some pedons have a BC horizon that is similar in characteristics to the Btng horizons.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline (6.6 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Basile, Bonn, Calhoun, Deerford, Diboll, Foley, Fountain, Frost, Guyton, Hillemann, Lafe, McCrory, Peoria, Rosella, Verdun, and Wing series are in similar families.
Basile, Calhoun, Fountain, Frost, and Guyton soils: do not have a natric horizon.
Bonn, Diboll, and Verdun soils: have mixed mineralogy.
Deerford, Foley, Hilleman, McCrory, Peoria, and Rosella soils: have less than 15 percent exchangeable sodium in the upper part of the argillic horizon.
Lafe and Wing soils: have chroma of 3 or more throughout the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy fluviomarine deposits high in exchangeable sodium of Late Pleistocene age
Landscape: coastal plains
Landform: broad flats or depressions
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1448 to 1651 mm (57 to 65 in)
Mean annual air temperature: 19.5 to 20.6 degrees C (67 to 69 degrees F)
Precipitation Pattern: fairly uniform throughout the year
Frost-free period: 240 to 300 days
Elevation: 6 to 61 m (20 to 200 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Basile and Guyton soils. Other associated soils are the Caddo, Glenmora, Kinder, Messer, and Vidrine soils.
Basile and Guyton soils: are at lower elevations on nearby stream flood plains.
Caddo, Glenmora, and Kinder soils: are on a slightly higher landform; more acidic; do not have a natric horizon. Messer and Vidrine soils: are on pimple mounds; are more acidic; do not have a natric horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; runoff is negligible; permeability is slow. A seasonal high water table is at depths of 0 top 46 cm (0 to 1.5 ft) below the surface from December through April.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the Brimstone soil is in woodland, mainly pine and mixed hardwood. A smaller acreage is in cropland. Rice and soybeans are the main crops.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South Louisiana; Land Resource Region T; MLRA 152B (Western Gulf Coast Flatwoods). The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana 1983.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Bonn series. LAES characterization data available on sample S78LA-19-7(1-7).

Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 41 cm (0 to 16 in) (Ap and E horizons)
Albic horizon: 15 to 41 (6 to 16 in) (E horizon)
Glossic horizon: 41 to 99 cm (16 to 39 in) (E/Btng and Btng/E horizons)
Natric horizon: 41 to 178 cm (16 to 70 in) (E/Btng, Btng/E. Btng horizons)

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.