LOCATION GOURDIN SCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Typic Epiaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Gourdin loam - woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam; weak fine granular; very friable; many fine to coarse roots; few fine pores; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Btg1--6 to 17 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay loam; few medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine to coarse roots; few medium pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few coarse sand grains; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg2--17 to 24 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam; few fine prominent red mottles and common medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) and red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very firm; few fine roots; few clean sand grains along cleavage planes; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg3--24 to 45 inches; mottled gray (N 5/0), reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) and red (2.5YR 4/8) clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very firm; few fine roots; few clean sand grains along cleavage planes; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg4--45 to 55 inches; mottled gray (N 5/0), brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and red (2.5YR 4/8) sandy clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse blocky; very firm; common coarse sand grains along vertical cleavage planes, few fine flakes of mica; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (Bt is 20 to more than 50 inches thick)
Cg--55 to 78 inches; gray (N 5/0), reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) and pale yellow (5Y 7/4) stratified loamy sand, sandy clay loam and clay; massive; firm; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Cg--78 to 85 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy sand; massive; very friable; few flakes of mica; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Williamsburg County, South Carolina; 3.3 miles south on South Carolina Highway 122 from the intersection of South Carolina Highway 16 at Williamsburg High School in Earle, South Carolina; 2.4 miles east on South Carolina Highway 526; 0.6 mile south on dirt road; 75 feet west in pine plantation.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 40 to more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout. The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 2.5Y or it is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2 with mottles of higher chroma or is mottled in shades of red, brown, yellow, and gray. Some pedons are greenish gray in the lower part. It is friable clay loam or sandy clay loam in the upper part, and firm to very firm clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy clay or clay in the lower part.
The Cg horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR or it is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2 with mottles in shades of red, yellow, and brown or is mottled in shades of red, brown, yellow, and gray. It is sand, loamy sand, sandy clay loam, sandy clay and clay or it is stratified with these textures.
The 2Cg horizon has colors similar to the Cg horizon but it is sand or loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Myatt and Ogeechee in the same family and the Bladen, Coxville, Grady, Grifton, Meggett, Mouzon, Rains and Rembert series in similar families. Myatt, Ogeechee, Grifton and Rains are loamy in the Bt horizon and have moderate permeability throughout the Bt horizon. Bladen, Coxville, Grady, Meggett, and Rembert soils have a clayey particle-size control section. Grifton, Meggett, and Mouzon soils are Alfisols.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gourdin soils are on nearly level broad flat areas of interstream divides of the the Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The soil formed in loamy and clayey Coastal Plain sediments. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is 62 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is approximately 48 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing series, these include Byars, Cape Fear, Craven, Eulonia, Hornsville, Pantego and Paxville series. Byars, Cape Fear, Pantego and Paxville soils have umbric epipedons. Craven, Eulonia and Hornsville soils are Hapludults.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow to very slow runoff and slow permeability. The water table is at or near the surface in winter and early spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in water tolerant hardwoods with a few scattered pines, maples, and water oaks with an understory of myrtle, blackberry, and gallberry. Some areas have been cleared for row crops or pasture or have been cleared and replanted to pines.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Coastal Plain of South Carolina and possibly North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Williamsburg County, South Carolina; 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 6 inches (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from a depth of 6 inches to a depth of 55 inches (Btg1, Btg2, Btg3 and Btg4 horizons).
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
SC0127 GOURDIN 0- 2 60- 66 230-270 46- 50 25- 450
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness SC0127 NONE RARE - APPARENT - 60-60SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- SC0127 0- 6 SL FSL 0- 0 95-100 5-20 1- 4 SC0127 0- 6 L 0- 0 95-100 10-27 2- 7 SC0127 6-24 SCL CL 0- 0 95-100 20-40 3- 8 SC0127 24-55 SC C 0- 0 95-100 35-60 4- 8 SC0127 55-85 VAR - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll SC0127 0- 6 3.6- 5.5 1.-5. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW SC0127 0- 6 3.6- 5.5 1.-5. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW SC0127 6-24 3.6- 5.5 - 0- 0 0.2- 0.6 LOW SC0127 24-55 3.6- 5.5 - 0- 0 0.06- 0.2 LOW SC0127 55-85 - - - -