LOCATION CHATANIKA               AK

Established Series
DKM/DKS/DLM
02/2022

CHATANIKA SERIES

The Chatanika series consists of moderately deep, poorly drained soils formed in colluviated silty loess. The Chatanika soil occurs on foot slopes and terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 20 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, acid, subgelic Typic Aquiturbels

TYPICAL PEDON: Chatanika mucky silt loam - on less than 1 percent slope in mixed black spruce, paper birch forest with alder shrub understory. (all colors are for moist soil)

Oi -- 0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fibric material; slightly decomposed moss, leaves, twigs and other woody debris; common fine to medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches (1 to 20 cm) thick)

A -- 4 to 6 inches (10 to 16 cm); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mucky silt loam; massive structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, and few medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear irregular boundary. (1 to 6 inches (3 to 14 cm) thick)

Cg/A -- 6 to 9 inches (16 to 23 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam(Cg) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mucky silt loam (A); massive structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, and few medium roots; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear irregular or broken boundary.

Cg -- 9 to 21 inches (23 to 55 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam; weak medium platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; few dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic stained zones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary.

Cgf -- 21 to 40 inches (55 to 102 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) permanently frozen silt loam; massive structure; extremely firm; few medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations common medium faint gray (2.5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; moderately acid (pH 6.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Fairbanks Area, Alaska; UTM zone 6, 495400E, 7167350N.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to permafrost 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 cm). The texture of the upper part of the control section is silt loam with a weighted average of less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser and less than 18 percent clay. This material contains significant amounts of mica but less than 25 percent. Texture of the lower part of the control section is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.

The O horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR; value of 2, 2.5 or 3; and chroma of 1 to 3. Organic material is slightly to moderately decomposed, and reaction ranges from extremely to slightly acid.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 2 to 4; and chroma 1 and 3. Texture is silt loam or mucky silt loam. Profiles may have lighter colored material from lower in the profile cryoturbated into the A. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid; boundary is clear to diffuse and irregular or broken.

The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6; and chroma 1 and 4. Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. These horizons have brown or black organic stained material cryoturbated in from the A horizon. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.

The Cgf horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 5 or 6; and chroma 1 or 2. . Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Chatanika soil is formed on foot slopes and terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 20 percent. The climate is subarctic continental with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. The mean annual temperature ranges from 25 to 28 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fairbanks, Goldstream, Minto, and Lemeta. Fairbanks and Minto are higher on hill slopes and lack permafrost with in the solum depth. Goldstream and Lemeta soils are in lower positions on valley bottoms and have thick organic surface horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is restricted by permafrost. Subject to rare to occasional flooding.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in native vegetation consisting of black spruce and paper birch forest with and understory of low shrubs and moss. Cleared areas are occasionally used for small grains, forages, and vegetables. Use is limited by thermokarst subsidence.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 231 Interior Alaska Highlands, Alaska. The series is of minor extent

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Greater Fairbanks Area, Alaska 2002

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Low chroma redoximorphic depletions from 6 to 40 inches; permafrost below 21 inches; gelic materials from 6 to 40 inches.

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory data S04AK-090-001 and S04AK-090-004 from Fairbanks Borough, Alaska, samples by SSL Lincoln, NE,07/04

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.