LOCATION DULUTH MN
Established Series
Rev. RTR-MPD-MBW
01/2011
DULUTH SERIES
The Duluth series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in a friable mantle of loamy eolian or glaciofluvial deposits and in the underlying firm loamy till on moraines and till plains. Slopes range from 6 to 45 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 4.0 degrees C. and mean annual precipitation is about 711 millimeters.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Haplic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Duluth fine sandy loam on an 8 percent linear slope on a moraine under mixed deciduous forest. Elevation of about 420 meters (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 13 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and few coarse roots; 3 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 15 centimeters thick; if an Ap, as thick as 20 centimeters)
E--13 to 33 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; weak thick platy parting to weak fine granular structure; very friable; common very fine and fine and common medium roots; 3 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 30 centimeters thick)
E/B--33 to 46 centimeters; 80 percent brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam (E), 20 percent brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam (Bt); weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common discontinuous brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on ped faces; many pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt coats on ped faces; 5 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the E/B, B/E, 2E/B or 2B/E is 5 to 46 centimeters)
2Bt1--46 to 74 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky parting to moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common discontinuous reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay films on ped faces; 5 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt2--74 to 97 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common discontinuous reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay films on ped faces; 5 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 38 to 127 centimeters)
2BC--97 to 127 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; 8 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 38 centimeters thick)
2C--127 to 203 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; massive; firm; 8 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 88-Northern Minnesota Glacial Lake Basins; St. Louis County (Meadowlands Part), Minnesota; about 4 miles west of the town of Culver; located about 400 feet south and 600 feet west of the northeast corner of section 8, T.51 N., R.18 W.; USGS Brookston NW, Minnesota topographic quadrangle; latitude 46 degrees 55 minutes 32 seconds N. and longitude 92 degrees 38 minutes 28 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the loamy mantle and depth to till ranges from 10 to 51 centimeters
Depth to free carbonates--152 to more than 203 centimeters
Rock fragment content--total 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 loamy mantle averages less than 18 percent clay. The till ranges from 20 to 35 percent clay and contains less than 45 percent sand.
Some pedons have an O horizon (duff layer).
A or Ap horizon:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--2 or 3 moist, 5 or 6 dry (if an Ap, value moist is 3 or 4)
Chroma--1 or 2 moist or dry (if an Ap, chroma moist is 1 to 3)
Texture--silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam
Reaction--very strongly to moderately acid
E horizon:
Hue--5YR to 10YR
Value--4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma--1 to 3 moist or dry
Texture--silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Reaction--very strongly to moderately acid
Some pedons have a Bw horizon.
All pedons have a glossic horizon comprised of an E/B, B/E, 2E/B, 2B/E or any combination of these horizons.
E part of the E/B, B/E, 2E/B, or 2B/E horizon:
Hue--5YR to 10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Bt part of the E/B or B/E horizon:
Hue--5YR to 10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam
Bt part of the 2E/B or 2B/E horizon:
Hue--2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--clay loam or loam
Reaction--very strongly acid to moderately acid
2Bt horizon:
Hue--2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--clay loam or loam
Reaction--strongly to slightly acid
2BC horizon (when present):
Hue--2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--loam or clay loam
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
2C horizon:
Hue--2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--loam or clay loam
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline
3C horizon (when present, it is below 152 centimeters and hence outside the series control section):
Hue--5YR to 10YR
Texture--sand and/or gravel
Reaction--slightly acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Cushing,
Fenwood,
Greatscott,
Rozellville,
Sol,
Warba and
Watton series in the same family.
Cushing soils allow for free carbonates above 152 centimeters and average more than 45 percent total sand content in the till
Fenwood soils have a lithic contact within a depth range of 102 to 152 centimeters
Greatscott soils have a densic contact within a depth range of 102 to 152 centimeters
Rozellville have greater than 20 percent rock fragment content in the substratum
Sol soils have less than 18 percent clay in the lower third of the series control section
Warba soils have hue of 10YR or yellower, and have friable till
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--mantle of loamy eolian or glaciofluvial deposits and the underlying firm loamy till of the St. Louis sublobe of the Des Moines lobe of the Late Wisconsinan glaciation
Landform--on summits and on linear and convex back slopes of moraines and till plains
Slope--6 to 45 percent
Mean annual air temperature--3 to 5 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--500 to 762 millimeters
Frost-free period--90 to 145 days
Elevation--300 to 550 meters
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Near the type location, these are the Baden, Blackhoof, Culver, Dusler and Ellsburg soils. These soils form a hydrosequence with the Duluth soils.
Baden--are in drainageways and depressions and lack a glossic horizon and an argillic horizon
Blackhoof--are in drainageways and depressions and have a histic epipedon but lack a glossic horizon and an argillic horizon
Culver--are on similar or less sloping positions on the landscape and are in the Oxyaquic Glossudalfs subgroup
Dusler--are at slightly lower positions, on slightly concave to slightly convex, less sloping positions on the landscape, and are in the Aquic Glossudalfs subgroup
Ellsburg--are at lower landscape positions, on flats and in drainageways, and are in the Typic Glossaqualfs subgroup
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--1.00 to 100.00 micrometers per second (moderately high or high) in the loamy mantle and 0.10 to 1.00 micrometers per second (moderately low) in the underlying till
This soil has a very transitory perched zone of saturation above the till during spring in 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:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains or Laurentian Upland
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland or Superior Upland
Physiographic sections--Western Lake Section (if in the Central Lowland Province) or undefined (if in the Superior Upland Province)
MLRAs--Northern Minnesota Glacial Lake Basins (88), Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess and Till, Northern Part (90A), Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess and Till, Southern Part (90B), Superior Lake Plain (92), and Superior Stony and Rocky Loamy Plains and Hills, Western Part (93A)
LRR K; Northeastern Minnesota.
Extent--moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carlton County, Minnesota, 1973.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 46 to 96 centimeters
Series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the mineral soil surface to 13 centimeters (A and E horizons);
glossic horizon--the zone from 33 to 46 centimeters (E/B horizon);
argillic horizon--the zone from 46 to 97 centimeters (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons);
Udic moisture regime
This soil (along with its other hydrosequence members) was originally established on Superior lobe till of the late Wisconsinan glaciation, but now represents those soils formed in the St. Louis sub lobe of the Des Moines lobe of the late Wisconsinan glaciation. 1/18/2011-TYPE LOCATION error was corrected.
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.