LOCATION CALAMITY                AK

Established Series
Rev:WDL/PK/JPM
02/2022

CALAMITY SERIES

The Calamity series consists of well and moderately well drained soils that are shallow to bedrock. They formed in residuum from noncalcareous metamorphic rocks. Calamity soils occur on upper backslopes of valley sides, headwalls of cirques, and summits and shoulders of ridges. Slopes range from 5 to 80 percent, but are dominantly 60 to 75 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 130 to 220 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Calamity sandy loam - on 45 percent east facing slope under alpine vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--2 to 0 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) mucky peat; many medium, few fine, and common very fine roots; extremely acid (pH 4.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 4 inches thick)

E--0 to 2 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) sandy loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable and nonsticky, nonplastic; common medium and fine, few very fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 2 inches thick)

Bhs--2 to 4 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) very cobbly sandy loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and fine, few very fine roots; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

BC--4 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) very cobbly sandy loam; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)

C--6 to 16 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) extremely cobbly sandy loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; 10 percent gravel, 60 percent cobble; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt irregular boundary.

R--16 inches; phyllite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Ketchikan Area, Alaska; in the vicinity of Polk Inlet NW 1/4 SW 1/4 Sec. 24, T.75S., R.84E., about 2 miles east of the end of Polk Inlet, Photo No. 0037 272 92.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 38 to 42 degrees F. The solum ranges from 5 to 7 inches thick. Depth to bedrock ranges from 14 to 20 inches. The coarse fragment content of the control section ranges from 35 to 70 percent with 15 to 35 percent gravel and 10 to 35 percent cobble. Reaction throughout the profile is strongly or very strongly acid. The organic layers consist of mucky peat or muck with hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value moist of 2.5 through 3, and chroma moist of 1 or 2.

An A horizon is present in some pedons. Hue is 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, values moist of 2 or 2.5, and chroma moist of 1 or 2.

The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value moist of 4 or 5; and chroma moist of 1 or 2.

The Bhs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value moist from 2 to 4; and chroma moist of 1 or 2.

The C horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR; value moist from 3 to 5, and chroma moist from 2 to 4.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the McCalley series. The McCalley soils have silt loam texture in the control section and lack an illuvial accumulation of organic matter in the upper part of the spodic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Calamity soils occur on very steep upper backslopes of valley sides, headwalls of cirques, and summits and shoulders of ridges. Slopes range from 5 to 80 percent, but are dominantly 60 to 75 percent, 50 to 400 feet in length, and convex in shape. Mean annual temperature is about 45 degrees F and mean annual precipitation is 130 to 220 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Hydaburg, Kaikli, Kina. and Sunnyhay soils. Hydaburg and Sunnyhay soils are poorly drained organic soils in depressions along ridges. Kaikli and Kina are poorly drained organic soils on backslopes of valleysides.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to moderately well drained; Moderately rapid permeability. Medium to rapid runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: Alpine vegetation; Used for wildlife habitat and watershed protection.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ketchikan Area, Alaska, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil include: an albic horizon from 0 to 2 inches; a spodic horizon from 2 to 6 inches; a cryic temperature regime; a lithic contact at 16 inches; loamy-skeletal particle-size from 10 to 16 inches.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.