LOCATION CHARITON MO+IAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Albaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Chariton silt loam - on a 0.5 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to about 10 inches thick)
E--9 to 15 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; friable; many fine roots; many fine faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) Fe depletions in ped interiors; many fine dark concretions (Fe and Mn oxides); strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
BE--15 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; many fine faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) Fe depletions and many fine faint brown (10YR 4/3) and few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe masses in ped interiors; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Btg1--18 to 22 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), and dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay; strong very fine angular blocky structure; very firm; common fine roots; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) Fe masses in ped interiors; few fine dark concretions and stains (Fe and Mn oxides); strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg2--22 to 37 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay; moderate very fine angular blocky structure; very firm; common fine roots; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and many fine faint brown (10YR 4/3) Fe masses in ped interiors; common fine dark concretions and stains (Fe and Mn oxides); moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg3--37 to 46 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in some root channels; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions and many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) Fe masses in ped interiors; few fine dark concretions (Fe and Mn oxides); slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 22 to 48 inches.)
2Cg--46 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), gray (10YR 5/1), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; massive; firm; few fine roots; common dark stains; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Macon County, Missouri; 1/4 mile east of South Gifford, 1,420 feet west and 500 feet north of the center of sec. 10, T. 60 N., R. 16 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 40 to 60 inches or more. The particle size control section averages 48 to 60 percent clay. Subhorizons in the upper half of the control that average more than 55 percent clay are less than 10 inches thick.
The A or Ap horizon has color value of 2 or 3, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 1 or 2. It is strongly acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The BE horizon has value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2 with mottles of higher chroma.
The upper part of the Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y and the lower part 10YR to 5Y. Color value is 4 or 5 and chroma is 1 or 2. Fe depletions and masses have the same hue and value with chroma ranging to 8. The upper part is strongly acid to moderately acid and the lower part is moderately acid to neutral. Some pedons have 2B horizons with textures of clay loam or sandy clay loam.
The 2Cg horizon commonly is variegated with hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma 1 to 8. It is clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam or fine sandy loam and ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adco, Appanoose, Belinda, Brooklyn, Cisne, Cowden, Denny, Glensted, Holcomb, Putnam, Rubio, Smileyville, and Wagner series. Adco soils are somewhat poorly drained and have a Bt horizon with chroma of 3 or more. Appanoose soils have less than 10 percent sand in the control section. The Belinda, Brooklyn, Cisne, Cowden, Denny, Glensted, Rubio, Smileyville and Wagner soils average less than 48 percent clay in the particle size control section. Holcomb soils have a dark colored A horizons thicker than 10 inches. Putnam soils have subhorizons that have more than 55 percent clay and are more than 10 inches thick in the middle one-third of the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chariton soils are on high floodplains or low terraces along major streams. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in loess underlain by alluvium or loess and alluvium. The mean annual temperature ranges from 49 to 55 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 32 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gifford, Moniteau, Nodaway, and Wabash soils. Gifford soils do not have an abrupt textural change and are on short slopes below the Chariton soil. Moniteau soils have less clay in the B horizon. Nodaway soils have less clay, do not have B horizons, and are stratified. Wabash soils have thick dark surface layers. Nodaway and Wabash soils are below the Chariton soils and generally closer to the main stream. Moniteau soils are on similar positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is slow. A perched water table has an upper limit of 0 to 1.5 feet during November to May. Flooding is none or rare.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated to corn and soybeans. Some small grains are grown. Native vegetation is grass and scattered hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Missouri and southern Iowa. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Macon County, Missouri, 1911.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this series are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 18 inches (Ap, E, and BE horizons); albic horizon - the zone from approximately 9 to 15 inches (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 18 to 46 inches (Btg1, Btg2 and Btg3 horizons).