LOCATION FREE               IN
Established Series
Rev. JRB-JAT-TJE
08/2007

FREE SERIES


The Free series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that are deep to calcareous sandy and gravelly outwash. The Free soils formed in loamy and gravelly outwash. They are on terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 940 mm (37 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C (51 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Free clay loam, on a south-facing, concave, 1 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); black (10YR 2/1) clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; friable; common very fine roots; 7 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--20 to 41 cm (8 to 16 inches); black (10YR 2/1) clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches).]

Btg1--41 to 53 cm (16 to 21 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; thin dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; many black (10YR 2/1) krotovinas; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; 10 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Btg2--53 to 79 cm (21 to 31 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; thin dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; many black (10YR 2/1) krotovinas; many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; common fine faint gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions; 12 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 36 to 51 cm (14 to 20 inches).]

2Btg3--79 to 102 cm (31 to 40 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) gravelly loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; thin dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; many black (10YR 2/1) krotovinas; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; common medium faint dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions; 15 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

2Btg4--102 to 122 cm (40 to 48 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) gravelly loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; thin dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; many black (10YR 2/1) krotovinas; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and few prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and common medium faint dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions; 25 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 41 to 51 cm (16 to 20 inches).]

2BCg--122 to 132 cm (48 to 52 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many black (10YR 2/1) krotovinas; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; 30 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 inches) thick]

2C--132 to 152 cm (52 to 60 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loamy coarse sand; single grain; loose; few very dark gray (10YR 3/1) krotovinas; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; many medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions; 45 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Benton County, Indiana; about 2 miles west and 2 miles south of Earl Park; 500 feet west and 1,000 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 32, T. 26 N., R. 9 W.; USGS Earl Park, Ind. topographic quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 39 minutes 9.6 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 27 minutes 33.5 seconds W., NAD 83; UTM Zone 16, 461169.6 easting and 4500303.3 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)

Ap, A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or is neutral
Value: 2, 2.5 or 3
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: clay loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 7 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: clay loam or loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

2Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: gravelly loam or gravelly clay loam
Rock fragment content: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

2BCg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 15 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: gravelly or very gravelly analogs of coarse sand or loamy coarse sand
Rock fragment content: 15 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colwood and Springerton series. Colwood and Springerton soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Free soils are on terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in loamy and gravelly outwash. They are deep to calcareous sandy and gravelly outwash. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 889 to 940 mm (35 to 37 inches). Mean annual air temperature ranges from 10 to 11 degrees C (50 to 52 degrees F). Frost-free period is 150 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Comfrey, Crane, Tippecanoe, and Wea soils. The very poorly drained or poorly drained Comfrey soils have mollic epipedons more than 61 cm (24 inches) thick and are on flood plains. The somewhat poorly drained Crane soils are browner in the upper part of the solum and are on nearly low lying rises. The moderately well drained Tippecanoe soils and the well drained Wea soils are on nearby slopes and rises.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Very poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the solum and very high in the underlying material. Permeability is moderate in the solum and very rapid in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all areas of this soil are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, small grain and legume hay are the principal crops. Native vegetation is tall prairie grass, chiefly big bluestem.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central and northwestern Indiana; MLRAs 110 and 111D. The type location is in MLRA 110. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benton County, Indiana, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 41 cm (Ap, A horizons).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 41 to 122 cm (Btg horizon).
Aquic conditions: redox features in all horizons below the mollic epipedon.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data is available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE, for pedon S83IN-007-020.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.