LOCATION CRANELL TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Vertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cranell sandy clay loam-rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in); black (10YR 2/1) sandy clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; few cracks 5 to 15 cm wide; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 18 to 36 cm [7 to 14 in])
Bt1--25 to 56 cm (10 to 22 in); black (10YR 2/1) sandy clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; common very fine and fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; common distinct pressure surfaces; many distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few cracks 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) wide filled with black (10YR 2/1) clay; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--56 to 142 cm (22 to 29 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy clay; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm; common very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; many distinct pressure surfaces; few faint slickensides; common distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few cracks 3 to 10 mm wide filled with black (10YR 2/1) clay; few fine nodules of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 25 to 71 cm [10 to 28 in])
Btk--142 to 109 cm (29 to 43 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common faint pressure surfaces; few faint slickensides; few faint clay films on surfaces of peds; few cracks 1 to 5 mm wide filled with black (10YR 2/1) clay; common fine and medium nodules of calcium carbonate; common fine and medium masses of calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness of the Btk horizon is 18 to 53 cm [7 to 21 in])
Bk1--109 to 147 cm (43 to 58 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common fine roots; few cracks 1 to 3 mm wide filled with very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay; common fine and medium nodules of calcium carbonate; common fine and medium masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bk2--147 to 203 cm (58 to 80 in); pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common fine roots; common fine nodules of calcium carbonate; common fine and medium masses of calcium carbonate; few fine concretions of iron-manganese; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Refugio County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and Farm Road 2441 in Woodsboro; about 5 miles south on U.S. Highway 77 to ranch road; 0.5 mile east on ranch road; located about 100 feet south in rangeland; Latitude: 28 degrees, 10 minutes, 25 seconds N; Longitude: 97 degrees, 25 minutes, 00 seconds W. Cranell topographic quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness is more than 203 cm (80 in) thick.
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section, 10 to 31 cm (4 to 12 in), is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 but less 150 cumulative days in normal years. July through September, December, and March are the driest months.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F).
Depth to argillic horizon: 18 to 36 cm (7 to 14 in)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 56 to 91 cm (22 to 36 in)
Depth to calcic horizon: 91 to 135 cm (36 to 53 in)
Depth to Vertic features: 18 to 36 cm (7 to 14 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sandy clay, clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Clay films: location-surfaces of peds, contrast-faint or distinct
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-0 to 2 percent, size-fine, location-in lower part of horizon
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Btk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay
Clay content: 22 to 40 percent
Clay films: location-surfaces of peds, contrast-faint or distinct
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 10 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-2 to 10 percent, size-fine or medium, location-throughout
Effervescence: slightly or strongly effervescent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, clay
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-5 to 20 percent, size-fine to coarse, location-throughout
Effervescence: slightly or strongly effervescent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Coy,
Elmendorf, and
Laparita series. Similar soils are the
Clareville and
Dacosta series.
Coy series: These soils formed in sediments of Miocene age, calcareous throughout, and have gypsum crystals at 55 inches.
Elmendorf series: These soils formed in sediments of Tertiary age and have gypsum crystals at 62 inches.
Laparita series: These soils formed in sediments of Tertiary age and have gypsum crystals at 46 inches.
Clareville series: These soils are Pachic Argiustolls.
Dacosta series: These soils are in the udic moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Loamy and clayey sediments of mid to late Pleistocene age
Landscape: coastal plain
Landform: nearly level soils on flats
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean Annual air temperature range: 21 to 23 degrees C (70 to 73 degrees F).
Mean Annual precipitation range: 76 to 97 cm (30 to 38 in)
Precipitation Pattern: The majority of the yearly amount occurs during the fall and spring months. The summer months are normally dry with infrequent coastal showers. The late summer months are subject to periods of high intense rainfall as a result of tropical disturbances.
Frost-free period: 300 to 314 days
Elevation: 8 to 31 meters (25 to 100 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 34 to 46
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Banquete,
Calallen,
Edroy, and
Victoria series.
Banquete series: do not have an argillic horizon and are on a lower landscape position.
Calallen series: have a fine-loamy argillic horizon and are on a similar to slightly higher landscape position.
Edroy series: are clayey throughout and are in enclosed depressions.
Victoria series: are clayey throughout and are on a similar landscape position.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is medium.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for crop production, wildlife habitat, livestock grazing, and forage production. Corn, grain sorghum, and cotton are the principle crops. Native vegetation includes bluestems, threeawns, gramas, and paspalums. Huisache and mesquite have encroached on many rangeland areas. The ecological site is: Blackland, PE 31-44 (150A526TT)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairies (MLRA 150A in LRR T) of the Coastal Bend of southern Texas. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kleberg County, TX, 2007. The name is for Cranell siding near the type location.
REMARKS: These soils were previously included with Orelia, Edroy, Victoria, or Clareville series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 25 to 76 cm (10 to 30 in). (Bt1, Bt2, Btk horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 25 to 74 cm (10 to 29 in). (A, Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 25 to 109 cm (10 to 43 in). (Bt1, Bt2, Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon: 109 to 203 cm (43 to 80 in). (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Vertic features: The presence of pressure surfaces and slickensides at 25 to 109 cm (10 to 43 in). (Bt1, Bt2, Btk horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil characterization data available in the publication, Characterization Data for Selected Texas Soils, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, January, 1986, on pedons S82TX-273-004 and S82TX-273-001 in Kleberg County.
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.