LOCATION FROGHEAVEN WA
Established Series
IRD. TMR/MPR
07/2017
FROGHEAVEN SERIES
Landscape--Cascade Mountains
Landform--depressions, swales, terraces, debris aprons
Slope--0 to 10 percent
Parent material--volcanic ash
Mean annual precipitation--about 2000 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 5 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--poorly drained
Soil moisture regime--aquic
Soil temperature regime--cryic
Soil moisture subclass--typic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, amorphic, acid Typic Cryaquands
TYPICAL PEDON: Frogheaven mucky ashy fine sandy loam on a forested, north-facing, 15-percent slope of a debris apron at an elevation of 1158 m (When described on July 16, 2013, the soil was moist to a depth of 34 cm and saturated below that depth.)
Oe--0 to 6 cm; moderately decomposed plant material; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common fine interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary
A1--6 to 19 cm; mucky ashy fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt irregular boundary
A2--19 to 24 cm; ashy sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent medium faint irregular dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 30 percent medium distinct irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt irregular boundary
Bg1--24 to 34 cm; ashy fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent medium distinct irregular dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 20 percent medium faint irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary
Bg2--34 to 60 cm; paragravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine distinct irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 20 percent medium distinct irregular dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 30 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary
Bg3--60 to 75 cm; ashy fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent medium faint irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 20 percent medium faint irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary
Bg4--75 to 90 cm; ashy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent medium distinct irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 20 percent medium faint irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary
Bg5--90 to 150 cm; ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) dry, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine faint irregular very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 10 percent fine distinct irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel and 5 percent andesite gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4)
TYPE LOCATION: Pierce County, Washington, between Fryingpan Creek and Shaw Creek, upslope from the road to Sunrise, about 4 km southwest of White River Ranger Station in Mount Rainier National Park; about 485 m north and 695 m west of the southeast corner of section 7, T. 16 N., R. 10 E.; Willamette Meridian; White River Park, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle; latitude 46.889218 degrees north, longitude -121.601889 degrees west, datum WGS 84 (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--4 to 8 degrees C
Depth to redoximorphic iron depletions--0 to 25 cm below the soil surface
Pararock and rock fragments--pumice paragravel typically in upper part of profile, andesite gravel may be in lower part of profile
All mineral horizons
*Volcanic glass content--50 to 75 percent
*Ammonium oxalate Al plus 1/2 Fe--greater than 0.4 percent
Particle-size control section
*Clay content--1 to 10 percent
*Total pararock and rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent
O horizon
*In lieu of texture--slightly decomposed plant material, moderately decomposed plant material
*Thickness--0 to 10 cm
A1 horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--2 to 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
*Chroma--1 to 2 moist or dry
*Reaction--4.5 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--mucky ashy fine sandy loam, mucky ashy sandy loam
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 15 percent pumice paragravel
*Thickness--10 to 20 cm
A2 horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--2 to 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
*Chroma--1 to 2 moist or dry
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--ashy sandy loam, ashy loamy sand
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 15 percent pumice paragravel
*Thickness--5 to 15 cm
Bg1 horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--1 to 4 moist or dry
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--ashy fine sandy loam, ashy loamy sand, ashy sandy loam
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 25 percent pumice paragravel
*Thickness--10 to 20 cm
Bg2 horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--2.5 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--1 to 4 moist or dry
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--ashy sandy loam, ashy loamy sand, ashy coarse sandy loam
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 35 percent pumice paragravel
*Thickness--15 to 30 cm
Bg3, Bg4, and Bg5 horizons
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Organic carbon content--decreases regularly as depth increases
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--ashy fine sandy loam, ashy sandy loam, ashy loamy sand
*Pararock and rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent total, including 0 to 30 percent pumice paragravel and 0 to 10 percent andesite gravel
*Combined thickness--50 to 110 cm
COMPETING SERIES:
Vantrump--aquic conditions below a depth of 25 cm; lithologic discontinuity within 100 cm of the soil surface
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--550 to 1730 m
Climate--cool, dry summers; cold, wet winters
Mean annual precipitation--1295 to 2870 mm
Mean annual air temperature--3 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--60 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Vantrump--aquic conditions with an upper limit of 25 cm from mineral soil surface; in similar landform positions
Ghost--formed in organic material with bands of volcanic ash; on similar low-lying landforms; no coniferous overstory
Laughingwater--aquic conditions within 50 to 75 cm of mineral soil surface; on steeper slopes of debris aprons and glacial-valley walls
Ohanapecosh--lithic contact at a depth of 25 to 50 cm (shallow); on steeper adjacent bedrock-controlled landforms
Arahustan--lithic contact at a depth of 50 to 100 cm (moderately deep); on steeper adjacent bedrock-controlled landforms
Longmire--no aquic conditions; albic and spodic horizons; on steeper slopes of debris aprons and glacial-valley walls
Summerland--greater than 35 percent rock fragments in particle-size control section; in active avalanche paths with deciduous forests
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained
Saturation in normal years--at surface in November through May, below a depth of 20 cm in August through October
Flooding--none
Frequency of ponding--rare
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--high or very high throughout
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat
Potential natural vegetation--western hemlock, western redcedar, red alder, vine maple, thimbleberry, devils club, salmonberry, skunkcabbage, deerfern, western swordfern, oakfern, twinflower
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Cascade Mountains, Washington; MLRA 3; small extent
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington; 2014; name from Frogheaven Swamp in Mount Rainier National Park
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon
*Particle-size control section--zone from 6 to 106 cm
*Umbric epipedon--zone from 6 to 75 cm
*Cambic horizon--zone from 75 to 150 cm
*Andic soil properties--zone from 6 to 150 cm
*Volcanic glass--zone from 6 to 150 cm
*Redoximorphic iron depletions with chroma of 2 or less--zone from 19 to 150 cm
*Redoximorphic iron concentrations--zone from 19 to 150 cm
*Distinguishable tephra layers--Mount St. Helens Wn tephra (A2 horizon), Mount Rainier C tephra (Bg1 and Bg2 horizons), Mount St. Helens Yn tephra (Bg4)
3/2017--This official series description was updated according to SSR1 Technical Note 11--Content and Format of Official Series Descriptions (revised 12/2015). Most of the changes were in formatting; no major technical changes were made.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.