LOCATION CHINIAK                 AK

Established Series
Rev. SR
02/2022

CHINIAK SERIES

The Chiniak series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in volcanic ash overlying beach gravel. Chiniak soils are on low beach dunes. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 60 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fragmental, mixed Vitrandic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Chiniak silt loam -- under native grass. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oi--2 1/2 inches to 0; dark brown (10YR 3/3) mat of roots and partially decayed organic materials; few volcanic ash grains; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

C1--0 to 5 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam volcanic ash; massive; firm in place, friable when disturbed; few roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)

C2--5 to 7 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy fine sand volcanic ash; loose; few roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

C3--7 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand volcanic ash; loose; few roots; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

2Ab--10 to 13 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) gravelly loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; few roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

3C--13 to 60 inches; fine gravel, mostly slate fragments; strongly to very strongly acid.



TYPE LOCATION: Northeastern Kodiak Island Area, Alaska. South shore of Kalsin Bay, 0.7 mile NE of junction of Chiniak Cape Road and Pasagshak Bay Road.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Total thickness of volcanic ash varies from a few inches to 15 inches, but the normal range in thickness is 9 to 12 inches. The surface layer is silt loam or loamy fine sand. The 2C horizon is very coarse sand or fine gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Reggad(T) series. Reggad soils have a histic epipedon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chiniak soils are on low beach dunes, mostly alongthe sho es of bays. The climate is cool maritime. Average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 70 inches, and the average annual temperature is about 40 degrees F. Temperatures below freezing are recorded on fewer than 40 days annually and temperatures above 70 degrees F. are rare.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Kizhuyak, Kodiak, and Salonie soils. Kizhuyak soils consist of thick alluvial accumulations of volcanic ash. Kodiak soils have a recent volcanic ash deposit at the surface, and dark reddish brown buried A horizons formed in older volcanic ash over glacial till. Salonie soils have recent volcanic ash at the surface, and thin dark buried A horizons over alluvial gravel.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is rapid. Slow to medium runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for grazing. Native grass is occasionally cut for hay or silage. Vegetation is tall grass, dominated by beach wild-rye and bluejoint reedgrass, and associated plants including fireweed and lupine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Kodiak Island, Alaska, and adjacent islands. The series is of minor extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Northeastern Kodiak Island Area, Alaska, 1959.

REMARKS: The concept of the Chiniak series is poorly defined. More data are needed to define the concept or the series should be inactivated (jpm, 4/87).

Source of the volcanic ash is the 1912 eruption of Mt. Novarupta and Mt. Katmai on the Alaska Peninsula.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.