LOCATION CHARLESTON         SC+NC
Established Series
Rev. TRG:JCM
09/2002

CHARLESTON SERIES


The Charleston series consists of deep, moderately well drained, moderately permeable loamy soils that formed in marine or fluvial sediments of the lower coastal plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, thermic Aquultic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Charleston loamy fine sand--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; few fine and medium strong brown and dark brown concretions; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)

A2--8 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; many fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)

B21t--16 to 24 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; clay coating and bridging most sand grains; many fine and medium pores; few dark brown nodules and concretions; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)

B22t--24 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and few fine, prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; clay coating and bridging most sand grains; many fine pores; few fine dark brown nodules and concretions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)

B3--36 to 44 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; frible; few fine pores; few fine dark brown nodules and concretions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

C1--44 to 52 inches; mottles pale brown (10YR 6/3) and pale olive (5Y 6/3) fine sand; single grained; very friable; common 15 to 25 mm strong brown nodules and concretions; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)

C2--52 to 70 inches; coarsely mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sand with pockets of sandy loam; single grained; very friable; medium acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

C3--70 to 80 inches; coarsely mottled light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), pale yellow (5Y 6/3), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sand; single grained; very friable; medium acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Charleston County, South Carolina; on James Island 0.9 mile east on Harbor View Road from bridge over James Island Creek; 100 feet north of road.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 35 to more than 60 inches. The soil is very strongly acid to slightly acid in the A horizon and very strongly acid to medium acid throughout the rest of the profile. The base saturation is 35 to 50 percent at 50 inches below the top of the argillic horizon. Few to common dark brown, or brown nodules or concretions are throughout the soil in most pedons.

The A1 or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y or neutral, value of 2 or 3, and chroma or 0 to 3. This horizon is less than 10 inches thick. The A2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. The A horizon is fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.

The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6 with mottles in shades of gray in the middle and lower part. Mottles in shades of red are in most pedons. The B2t horizon is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. The average clay content of the particle size control section is 10 to 18 percent with more than 30 percent coarser than very fine sand.

The B3 horizon, where present, has colors like the B2t horizon, or it is mottled in shades of gray, yellow, or brown. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand. The C horizon has colors like the B3 horizon. It is fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in this family. Similar soils in other families are the Dragston, Harleston, Johns, Lonoke, and Sequatchie series. Dragston, Harleston, Johns, and Sequatchie soils have a base saturation of less than 35 percent at 50 inches below the top of the argillic horizon. Lonoke and Pineville soils do not have mottles with chroma 2 or less within 10 inches of the top of the argillic horizon. Lonoke soils have a Bt horizon with a base saturation of more than 60 percent.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Charleston soils are on flats and low divides on the Pamlico Terrace and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in sandy and loamy marine or fluvial sediments. They are at less than 25 feet above mean sea level. Near the type location, the average annual temperature is 65 degrees F., the precipitation is 49 inches, and the freeze-free season is 294 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kiawah, Seabrook, Stono, and Yonges series. Kiawah and Seabrook soils have textures of loamy fine sand or coarser throughout. Stono and Yonges soils have more than 18 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon, and a base saturation of more than 60 percent at 50 inches below the top of the argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: About half of the acreage is in forest of loblolly pine, water oak, and sweet gum. The remainder is used for truck crops and residential developments. Common crops are cabbage, snap beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and soybeans.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South Carolina, Georgia, and possibly North Carolina and Florida. The series is of small extent with about 9,000 acres in Charleston County, South Carolina.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Charleston County, South Carolina; 1955.

TABULAR SERIES DATA:

SOI-5  Soil Name   Slope  Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip  Elevation
SC0081 CHARLESTON  0-  2   62- 66  270-290  46- 52     0- 125 

SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness SC0081 NONE 2.0-3.5 APPARENT DEC-MAR 60-60

SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- SC0081 0-16 LFS LS FS 0- 0 90-100 2-10 .2- 1 SC0081 0-16 FSL SL 0- 0 90-100 8-15 1- 2 SC0081 16-44 FSL SL 0- 0 90-100 10-18 1- 2 SC0081 44-80 LFS LS FS 0- 0 90-100 5-12 .5- 1

SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll SC0081 0-16 4.5- 6.5 .5-3. 0- 0 6.0- 20 LOW SC0081 0-16 4.5- 6.5 .5-3. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW SC0081 16-44 4.5- 6.0 - 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW SC0081 44-80 4.5- 6.0 - 0- 0 6.0- 20 LOW


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.