LOCATION FROST LA+MS

Established Series
Rev. JDS
02/2013

FROST SERIES

The Frost series consists of very deep, poorly drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in silty alluvium or loess. These soils are in broad depressional areas and in drainageways on late Pleistocene age terraces. Slope is dominantly less than 0.5 percent, but it ranges to 1 percent along narrow drainageways.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, thermic Typic Glossaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Frost silt loam on a 0.5 percent slope, in cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap1--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Ap2--6 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; common coarse rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; few fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)

Eg--10 to 22 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; common medium rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; neutral; gradual irregular boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)

Btg/E--22 to 36 inches; 80 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam (Bt part); weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very firm; common fine and medium roots; thin discontinuous faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation throughout; many fine and medium faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions throughout; about 20 percent vertical intrusions of light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam albic material (E part); strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 15 inches thick)

Btg1--36 to 50 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; many fine and medium discontinuous tubular pores; common discontinuous prominent dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; common medium rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few coarse faint brown (10YR 4/3) masses of iron accumulation throughout; common discontinuous distinct white (10YR 8/1) clay depletions on faces of peds; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btg2--50 to 63 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; many fine and medium discontinuous tubular pores; common discontinuous distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; common medium rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; many medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btg3--63 to 79 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; many fine and very fine pores; thin discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds and along pores; common medium dark colored rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; many medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; slightly acid. (combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 20 to more than 40 inches)

2Btg--79 to 107 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; many distinct patchy pressure faces on faces of peds; common coarse rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; few fine and medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) iron accumulations throughout; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

2C--107 to 117 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loam; massive; friable; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Acadia Parish, Louisiana, about 4 miles northwest of Church Point, La., 100 feet west of LA Hwy. 751; 1800 feet north and 350 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 3, T. 7 S., R. 2 E.; USGS Church Point, LA, 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 30 degrees 28 minutes 14 seconds N. Latitude, 92 degrees 14 minutes 42 seconds W. Longitude, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 48 to more than 80 inches. Depth to the discontinuity ranges from 40 to more than 80 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral in the A and Eg horizons; from very strongly acid to slightly acid in the Btg/E and the Btg horizon; and from strongly acid to neutral in the the 2Btg and 2BCg horizons.

The A or Ap horizon has value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 1 or 2. Where value is 3, the thickness of the A or Ap horizon is less than 6 inches.

The Eg horizon has value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 or 2.

The Btg part of the Btg/E horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silty clay loam or silt loam. Iron depletions and masses of iron accumulation are in shades of gray and brown. The E part of the Btg/E horizon consists of vertical intrusions of albic material 1 to 6 inches wide that have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. The E parts make up 15 to 50 percent of the Btg/E horizon.

The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silty clay loam or silt loam. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of brown, and iron depletions in shades of gray are present in most pedons. Peds are partially coated with dark gray (10YR 4/1), very dark gray (10YR 3/1), or black (10YR 2/1) clay films. Thin patches and streaks of uncoated silt between peds range from none to common.

The 2Btg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silty clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, or silty clay. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of brown or red, and iron depletions in shades of gray are present in most pedons. Thin patches and streaks of uncoated silt between peds range from none to common.

The 2BCg or 2C horizon, where present, is variegated in shades of gray, brown, and red. Texture is loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, or silty clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Calhoun, Ethel, and Gilbert series in the same family, and the Basile and Fountain series in closely related families. Calhoun soils do not have dark colored clay films in the Bt horizon. Ethel soils formed in alluvium. Gilbert soils have exchangeable sodium that ranges from 15 to 35 percent within 17 to 40 inches of the upper boundary of the B horizon. Basile and Fountain soils do not have dark colored clay films in the Bt horizon, have calcium carbonate concretions in the subsoil, and have a superactive activity class.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Frost soils are in slightly depressional areas and in broad drainageways. They formed in late Pleistocene age deposits high in silt content over mid to late Pleistocene alluvial sediments. The upper materials have the characteristics of loess mixed with silty alluvium. The average annual temperature ranges from 65 to 70 degrees F., and the average annual rainfall is 50 to 65 inches. Elevation ranges from 0 to 50 feet above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Coteau, Deerford, Duson, Jeanerette, Olivier, and Patoutville series. All of these soils are on slightly higher positions than the Frost soil. Coteau and Duson soils are somewhat poorly drained and do not have aquic conditions within a depth of 20 inches. Deerford soils are somewhat poorly drained and have a natric horizon. Jeanerette soils are somewhat poorly drained and have a mollic epipedon.. Olivier soils are somewhat poorly drained and have a fragipan. Patoutville soils have red masses of iron accumulation in the upper part of the subsoil and do not have a glossic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Frost soils are poorly drained. Runoff is very slow and permeability is slow. Most areas receive drainage water from higher elevations. The soil is wet in the layers below 0 to 1.5 feet during the months of December through April in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most are in crops or improved pasture, however many areas remain in hardwood forest; some areas are cleared and used for pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Louisiana, Mississippi, and possibly Arkansas. Southern Mississippi Valley Silty Uplands (MLRA 134). The series is of large extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AUBURN, ALABAMA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Livingston Parish, Louisiana; 1931. The type location was moved to Acadia Parish in 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other significant features are:
Ochric epipedon..........0 to 22 inches (Ap and Eg horizons)
Albic horizon............10 to 22 inches (Eg horizon)
Glossic horizon..........22 to 36 inches (Btg/E horizon)
Argillic horizon.........22 to 107 inches (Btg/E, Btg, and 2Btg horizons)
Lithologic Discontinuity.At 79 inches (top of 2Btg horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Data for this pedon were from NSSL, Lincoln, Nebraska; Sample No. S93LA-001-014.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.