LOCATION CROSSWIND AK

Established Series
SDB/MJS
08/2025

CROSSWIND SERIES

Depth class: moderately deep
Drainage class: poorly drained
Parent material: organic material over noncalcareous loess over colluvium
Landscape: lake plains
Landform: bluffs and river valleys
Slope: 1 to 30 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 350 mm (14 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -3 degrees C (27 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 20 to 75 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, subgelic Typic Histoturbels

TYPICAL PEDON: Crosswind mucky peat in a white spruce alder community on an east facing bluff on a concave, linear backslope on a slope of 14 percent at an elevation of 567m (1860 ft)

Oi--0 to 11 cm (0 to 4 in); peat, brown (10YR 4/3) broken face moist; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary (8 to 14 cm, 3 to 6 in)

Oe--11 to 26 cm (4 to 10 in); mucky peat, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) broken face moist; many very fine, fine, and very coarse roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary (12 to 18 cm, 5 to 7 in)

A--26 to 39 cm (10 to 15 in); silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) broken face moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt wavy boundary (6 to 16 cm, 2 to 6 in)

A/Cjj--39 to 74 cm (15 to 29 in); silt loam, 60 percent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) broken face and 40 percent dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) broken face moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine, and common coarse and very coarse roots throughout; common very fine vesicular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary (6 to 60 cm, 2 to 24 in)

Cf--74 to 150 cm (29 to 59 in); loam, dark gray (5Y 4/1) broken face moist; massive; moderately hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; nonsmeary; neutral (pH 7.2). (42 to 124 cm, 17 to 49 in)

TYPE LOCATION: North Copper River Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 62.45391, longitude -144.88865, UTM 6926527.33 north and UTM 608923.93 east, zone 6, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: aquic
Soil temperature regime: gelic
Mean annual soil temperature: -4 to -2 degrees C. (25 to 28 degrees F)
Thickness of histic epipedon: 20 to 32 cm (8 to 13 in)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 18 to 34 cm (7 to 13 in)
Depth to cryoturbation: 20 to 48 cm (8 to 19 in)

Depth to permafrost: 26 to 108 cm (10 to 43 in)

Oi, Oe, and Oa horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: peat, mucky peat, muck
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: strongly acid to moderately acid (pH 5.1 to 6.0)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 10 to 40 percent
Silt: 12 to 85 percent
Clay: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 5.2 percent
Reaction class: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)

Cryoturbated horizon:
C material: Hue 2.5Y or 5y, value 3 to 5, chroma 1 to 2
A material: Hue 10YR or 2.5Y, value 2 to 3, chroma 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam, loam, clay loam
Sand: 10 to 50 percent
Silt: 14 to 85 percent
Clay: 5 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 percent
Organic matter: 0.1 to 3 percent
Reaction class: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)

Cf horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: loam or clay loam
Sand: 25 to 50 percent
Silt: 15 to 53 percent
Clay: 10 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 45 percent
Gravels: 0 to 35 percent
Cobbles: 0 to 10 percent
Organic matter: 0.1 to 1.0 percent
Reaction class: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Apun (AK), Chakina (AK), Domeworld (AK), Foggypass (AK), Pupcreek (AK), Saintelias (AK), Slatka (AK), and Tulebagh (AK) series.
Apun has pH value of strongly to moderately acid in the mineral horizons, lack a mollic epipedon, and lacks colluvium as a parent material.
Chakina is somewhat poorly drained, has permafrost starting below 130 cm (51 in), lack a mollic epipedon, and forms on mountain slopes.
Domeworld soils have a more than 15 percent channers in the uppermost mineral horizon and occur on turf hummocks in mountains.
Foggypass soils are somewhat poorly drained, have more than 15 percent gravels in the first mineral horizon, lack a mollic epipedon, and lacks loess.
Pupcreek soils lack a mollic epipedon and occurs on hills.
Saintelias soils have over 100cm (39 in) of cryoturbated material, lack a mollic epipedon, and occur on terraces and in river valleys.
Slatka soils are somewhat poorly drained, lack a mollic epipedon, and occur on mountain slopes,
Tulebagh soils have over 100cm (39 in) of cryoturbated material and occur on stream terraces and interdunes on alluvial plains.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 400 to 800 meters (1310 to 2625 ft)
Parent material: organic material over noncalcareous loess over colluvium
Landform: bluffs and river valleys
Slopes: 1 to 30 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 500 mm (12 to 20 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -4 to -2 degrees C. (25 to 28 degrees F)
Frost free period: 20 to 75 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ahtna, Chelina, Detail, and Tsana series.
Ahtna soils are well drained soils, have silt loam texture, a calcic horizon starting between 23 and 73cm, and occur on escarpments, bluffs, and river valleys.
Chelina soils occur on terraces and have lacustrine parent materials.
Detail soils are moderately well drained and occur on river valleys and bluffs in lake plains.
Tsana soils are well drained, form in thin loess mantles over overlying loamy glacial till, and occur on till plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: poorly drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: high in the Oa and Oe horizon, moderately high in A and A/Cjj horizons, and low in the Cf horizon.
Permeability: moderately rapid in the Oa and Oe horizons, moderate in the A and A/Cjj horizon, and very slow in the Cf horizon.
Runoff: very high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: White spruce, Siberian alder, and feathermoss

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 227 Copper River Basin.
Extent: limited

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: North Copper River Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Particle-size control section: 51 to 126 cm (20 to 50 in)

Histic epipedon: 0 to 26 cm (0 to 10 in) (Oi and Oe horizons)

Mollic epipedon: 26 to 74 cm (10 to 29 in) (A and A/Cjj Horizons)

Cryoturbation: 39 to 74 cm (15 to 29 in) (A/Cjj horizon)

Aquic Conditions: 39 to 150 cm (15 to 59 in) (A/Cjj and Cf horizon)

Permafrost: 74 to 150 cm (29 to 59 in) (Cf horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2016AK261036

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.