LOCATION DINHAM MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Dinham sandy loam on a 4 percent complex slope under mixed deciduous forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 13 cm; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; many very fine to medium roots; 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)
Bw1--13 to 25 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine and fine roots; 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--25 to 38 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common very fine and fine roots; 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--38 to 76 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw4--76 to 97 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sand; single grain; loose; very few fine roots; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 36 to 99 cm)
2E/B--97 to 114 cm; 80 percent brown (7.5YR 5/2) loam (E), 20 percent brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam (Bt); strong medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (5 cm to 25 cm thick)
2Bt1--114 to 140 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; strong medium subangular blocky structure; firm; very few very fine roots; common discontinuous reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary.
2Bt2--140 to 203 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common discontinuous reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent gravel; moderately acid. (combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 38 to 127 cm)
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 4 miles east of the town of Melrude; 1700 feet west and 350 feet north of the southeast corner of section 15, T.55 N., R. 16 W.; USGS Whiteface, Minn. Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 14 minutes 32 seconds N., and longitude 92 degrees 21 minutes 07 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the mantle and depth to till ranges from 51 to 102 cm. Depth to free carbonates is greater than 203 cm. Volume of rock fragments in the mantle ranges from 2 to 14 percent with 2 to 14 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 2 percent stones. Volume of rock fragments in the till ranges from 1 to 10 percent with 1 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 2 percent cobbles and 0 to 1 percent stones. Rock fragments are mostly of mixed lithology. The mantle averages less than 12 percent clay and contains more than 70 percent sand. The till ranges from 20 to 35 percent clay and contains less than 45 percent sand.
The O horizon (duff layer) when present, is as much as 5 cm thick. It has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid.
The A horizon has a hue of 10YR or 7.5YR value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Dry color has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Reaction is very strongly to moderately acid.
Some pedons have an E horizon.
The Bw horizon has a hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loamy sand or sand. The upper part can be sandy loam. It typically has faint to distinct Fe concentrations and/or depletions in the lower part. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
All pedons have a glossic horizon comprised of a 2E/B, 2B/E or both. The E part of has a hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is sandy loam or loam. The Bt part has the same colors and textures as the 2Bt horizon. Reaction is strongly to moderately acid.
The 2Bt horizon has a typical hue of 5YR but ranges from 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay loam or loam. It is firm. Reaction is strongly to moderately acid.
The 2BC horizon when present, has the same colors described in the 2Bt horizon. It is loam or clay loam. It is firm. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The 2C horizon when present, has a typical hue of 5YR but ranges from 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam or clay loam. It is firm. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Branstad, Culver, Daybrook, Flambeau, Flintsteel(T), Hiles, Loyal and Nashwauk soils. Branstad soils allow for free carbonates above 152 cm and average between 45 and 65 percent sand throughout. Culver soils do not have a mantle containing 70 percent sand or greater. Daybrook and Nashwauk soils have a densic contact at depths of 102 to 152 cm. Flambeau soils have less than 45 percent sand throughout. Flintsteel soils have a densic contact at depths of 64 to 102 cm. Hiles soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 51 to 102 cm. Loyal soils have a silty mantle 30 to 91 cm thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have slopes with gradients of 3 to 18 percent. They are on summits and backslopes of moraines. They formed in a mantle of outwash and the underlying loamy till of the St. Louis sublobe of the Des Moines lobe of the Late Wisconsin age glaciation. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 3 to 5 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 500 to 762 mm. Frost-free days range from 90 to 145. Elevation above sea level ranges from 300 to 400 meters above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Baden, Culver, Duluth, Dusler Ellsburg, and Hellwig soils. The very poorly drained Baden soils are on plane or concave positions. The moderately well drained Culver and well drained Duluth soils are on similar positions but do not have a mantle of outwash. The somewhat poorly drained Dusler soils are on slightly concave to slightly convex positions. The poorly drained Ellsburg and Hellwig soils are on plane or concave positions. Organic soils in depressions are also common associates.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is low to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 42.34 to 705 micrometers per second in the sandy part of the upper mantle (6 to 100 inches per hour) and .42 to 1.41 micrometers per second (0.06 to 0.20 inches per hour) in the lower part. This soil frequently has a perched zone of saturation above the till in spring and fall of normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Common trees are quaking aspen, paper birch, American basswood, sugar maple, northern red oak, eastern white pine, balsam fir and white spruce. Some is used for agricultural cropland. Hay, pasture and small grains are the most common crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-90A. Northeastern Minnesota. Small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County (Duluth subset), Minnesota, 2007.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the mineral soil surface to 13 cm (A horizon); glossic horizon - the zone from 97 to 114 cm (2E/B); argillic horizon - the zone from 114 to 203 cm (2Bt1, 2Bt2 horizons)