LOCATION GRIFFINSBURG VA
Established Series
JHS Rev. MDJ
09/2016
GRIFFINSBURG SERIES
The Griffinsburg series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in residuum from low-grade metasedimentary rocks such as arkosic metasandstone, meta-arkose and metagraywacke on the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Northern Piedmont Major Land Resource Area. Permeability is moderately rapid. Slopes range from 7 to 45 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 41 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 55 degrees.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Griffinsburg gravelly sandy loam on a northeast facing slope in mixed hardwood tree cover at 780 feet above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots and common medium roots and few coarse roots; 5 percent nonflat subangular strongly cemented 10 to 15 inch metasedimentary rock fragments and 10 percent nonflat subangular strongly cemented 3 to 8 inch metasedimentary rock fragments and 20 percent nonflat subangular strongly cemented 0.5 to 3 inch metasedimentary rock fragments; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bw1--6 to 25 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) cobbly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots and common medium roots and common coarse roots; 20 percent nonflat subangular strongly cemented 3 to 8 inch metasedimentary rock fragments and 25 percent nonflat subangular strongly cemented 0.5 to 3 inch metasedimentary rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--25 to 31 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) cobbly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots and common medium roots and common coarse roots; 15 percent nonflat subangular strongly cemented 0.5 to 3 inch metasedimentary rock fragments and 30 percent nonflat subangular strongly cemented 3 to 8 inch metasedimentary rock fragments; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Cr--31 to 42 inches; weathered bedrock.
R--42 to 52 inches; bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Culpeper County, Virginia; 2.65 miles north from Salem on Route 629, 1.1 mile northwest then south west on Scott Mountain Lane, then 1100 feet southeast in woods; U.S.G.S. Castleton topographic quadrangle; Latitude 38 degrees 32 minutes 30.51 seconds N and Longitude 78 degrees 4 minutes 44.59 seconds W. NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the bottom of the cambic horizon ranges from 10 to 40 inches. Depth to paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to lithic contact ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Reaction is extremely acid to moderately acid throughout.
The A horizon has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 55 percent. Rock fragments are mainly fine, medium and coarse metasedimentary
and metaquartzite gravels, metasedimentary cobbles and metasedimentary stones
Some pedon have an Ap horizon with hue of 10YR, value of 4, and chroma of 4. It is fine sandy loam or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 50 percent. Rock fragments are mainly fine, medium and coarse metasedimentary
and metaquartzite gravels and metasedimentary cobbles
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 35 to 60 percent. Rock fragments are mainly medium and coarse metasedimentary and
metaquartzite gravels and metasedimentary cobbles.
Some pedons have a C horizon, with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 20 to 50 percent. Rockfragments are mainly medium and coarse metasedimentary and metaquartzite gravels and metasedimentary cobbles
The Cr horizon can be dug by hand tools with difficulty.
COMPETING SERIES:
Bremo,
Cardiff,
Cataska,
Greenlee,
Handshoe,
Konnarock,
Northcove,
Petros, and
Watt soils are competing series. Cataska and Petros soils have paralithic contact above 20 inches. Cataska soils developed in residuum of low-grade metasedimentary rock. Petros soils developed in residuum of shale and siltstone. Bremo and Konnarock soils have lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Bremo soils develop from residuum of dark-colored rock. Konnarock soils develop in residuum of rythmite and tillite. Greenlee, Handshoe, and Northcove soils are greater than 60 inches to lithic or paralithic contact. Greenlee develop in colluvium and alluvium of felsic to mafic igneous and high-grade metamorphic rock. Handshoe soils develop in colluvium of sandstone. Northcove soils develop in colluvium of low-grade metasedimentary rocks. Cardiff soils develop from residuum of slate, phyllite and other fine-grained rock. Watt soils develop in residuum of graphitic rock.
Parker soils are in a related family and may become competitors as their classification is upgraded to the eighth edition of soil taxonomy. Parker soils have lithic and paralithic contact at greater than 60 inches and develop in residuum of granite gneiss.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Griffinsburg soils formed in in residuum from low-grade metasedimentary rocks such as arkosic metasandstone, meta-arkose and metagraywacke on backslopes of side slopes and nose slopes on the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Northern Piedmont Major Land Resource Area. Mean annual air temperature 55.7 degrees F., with average winter temperature of 35.4 degrees F and average summer temperature of 74.6 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 36.47 to 48.39 inches, frost free days range from 185 to 237 days, and elevation ranges from 200 to 1400 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Culpeper,
Edgemont,
Halifax,
Rixeyville and
Meadowville soils. Culpeper, Edgemont, and Halifax soils are all greater than 60 inches to lithic or paralithic contact. Culpeper soils are on summits and shoulders of side slopes. Edgemont soils are on similar landscape positions. Halifax soils are moderately well drained and are on summits and shoulders of side slopes. Rixeyville soils contain fewer rcock fragments and are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to high. Permeability is moderately rapid. The depth to the top of the seasonal high water table is greater than 60 inches.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are mainly in woodlands. Vegetation is intermixed conifers and hardwoods, mainly Chestnut Oak, Scarlet Oak, Blackjack Oak, Virginia Pine, and Loblolly Pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 148. In Virginia. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES PROPOSED: Culepper County, VA 2004.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - 0 to 6 inches (A horizon).
2. Cambic horizon - 6 to 31 inches (Bw horizons).
3. Paralithic contact - 31 inches.
4. Paralithic material - 31 to 42 inches (Cr horizon).
5. Lithic contact - 42 inches.
2016 Update was to change the status to Established
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.