LOCATION GEERTSEN UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Geertsen loam, rangeland. (Colors are for moist 80il unless otherwise noted.)
O1--2 inches to 0, decaying needles, twigs, etc. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A11--O to 3 inches, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A12--3 to 8 inches, dark brown (10YR 3/3) heavy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak, fine and medium, subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (O to 9 inches thick)
B21t--8 to 11 inches, dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; common thin clay films; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (O to 6 inches thick)
B22t--11 to 45 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry; size and shape of peds are determined bg space available between rock fragments; structure is mainly blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; common thin clay films; 45 percent cobble and 20 percent gravel; moderately calcareous; neutral (pH 7.2); diffuse irregular boundary. (14 to 35 inches thick)
R--45 inches, fractured limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Morgan County, Utah; 10 miles north of Lost Creek Dam; 1,100 feet west and 800 feet north of SE corner of sec. 15, T.7N., R.5E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 16 inches thick. The combined thickness of the Al and B2t horizons ranges from 28 to 50 inches. Depth to bedrock ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 40 to 46 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 47 to 59 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry for 30 to 45 days in the late summer. Rock fragments consist of angular limestone and shale-pebbles and cobbles, and range from O to 20 percent in the Al horizon, 35 to 70 percent in the B2t horizon, and 65 to 70 percent in the C horizon.
The Al horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4 dry, 1 through 3 moist. It is slightly acid or neutral and ranges from 5 to 13 inches thick.
The B2t horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry, 2 through 6 moist. It is dominantly cobbly or very cobbly light clay loam, but thin subhorizons may be clay loam. Clay films range from few to common thin. The matrix is noncalcareous to moderately calcareous. The B2t horizon is slightly acid or neutral, noncalcareous to moderately calcareous, and ranges from 18 to 40 inches thick.
Some Pedons have a Cca horizon below depths of 40 inches that has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It ranges from very gravelly heavy loam to very cobbly light clay loam; the matrix is slightly or moderately calcareous and is neutral or mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blaine, Bowen, Buena Vista, Elwood, Ess, Fourmile, Hoodle, Libeg, Mullinville, Nathrop, Norriston, Packer, Parkview, Quander, Stuckcreek, Tahquats, Thiel, Tusel, Winada and Woodhall series. Blaine, Bowen, Buena Vista, Elwood, Nathrop, Parkview, Winada and Woodhall soils are 20 to 40 inches deep over bedrock. Ess soils formed in material weathered from basalt, are high in volcanic ash and pyroclastics and have a summer moisture peak. Fourmile soils have coarse sandy clay loam B2t horizons and very gravelly coarse sand or loamy sand C horizons. Hoodle soils have Cca horizons at depth of about 27 inches and have a summer moisture peak. Libeg soils are noncalcareous throughout and have mollic epipedons 4 to 8 inches thick. Mullinville soils are calcareous at depths of 6 to 20 inches, have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the C horizons and occur in a lO-inch precipitation zone. Nathrop soils have secondary carbonates at depths of about 20 inches. Norriston soils have solums 10 to 20 inches thick and have coarse sandy loam B horizons with less than 20 percent clay. Packer soils have solums about 13 inches thick. Quander soils are noncalcareous throughout and have sandy clay loam B2t horizons. Stuckcreek soils have solums 8 to 15 inches thick, have calcium carbonate horizons at depths of 6 to 15 inches and have very gravelly coarse sandy loam or loamy sand C horizons at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Tahquats soils have common uncoated silt particles in the B2t horizon and are dominantly medium acid. Thiel soils have a thin solum, have a Cca horizon at depth of about 10 inches, and have clean sand and gravel at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Tusel soils have a mollic epipedon more than 16 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Geertsen soils are at elevations of 6,000 to 9,100 feet. They occur dominantly on northeast, north and northwest facing mountain slopes. Slopes range from 30 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from limestone, shaly limestone, or calcareous shale. The temperature is 39 to 44 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 49 to 58 degrees F., and the frost-free period ranges from 40 to 70 days.
ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Agassiz, Condie, Cristo and Lucky Star soils. Aggassiz soils are less than 20 inches deep over bedrock. Condie soils lack mollic epipedons, have A2 horizons and have hue of 5YR through 10R in the B2t horizon. Cristo soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick and have more than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Lucky Star soils have A2 horizons and have solums 50 to 70 inches or more in thickness.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is Douglas-fir, alpine fir, and white fir with a sparse understory of snowberry, Oregon grape, mountain bromegrass and slender wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. This series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morgan Area, Morgan County, Utah, 1974.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last revised by state on 11/74