LOCATION GRIMSTAD MN+NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aeric Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Grimstad sandy loam with a slightly convex slope of 1 percent on a glacial lake plain in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam; dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common roots; few very dark brown (10YR 2/2) worm casts and root channel fillings; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common roots; many very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) tongues and masses; strong effervescence; carbonates disseminated throughout; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bk2--14 to 22 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common roots; common very dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) masses; few dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) coatings on mineral grains in lower part; violent effervescence; carbonates disseminated throughout; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bk horizons 6 to 18 inches thick)
C1--22 to 28 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loamy fine sand; common fine faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and few coarse distinct dark brown (10YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentrations; massive; loose; few roots; about 2 percent gravel in lower part; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2C2--28 to 32 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) fine sandy loam; common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) redoximorphic depletions; massive; very friable; few roots; about 2 percent gravel; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
2C3--32 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam; common fine faint light gray (2.5Y 7/2) redoximorphic depletions and many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; massive; very friable; few fine dark reddish brown concretions; about 5 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Norman County, Minnesota; about 8 miles north and 8 miles west of Ada; 1,425 feet west and 285 feet south of the northeast corner of Sec. 2, T. 145 N., R. 45 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 7 to 16 inches thick. The top of the calcic horizon is within 16 inches of the surface. The top of the 2C horizon is between depths of 20 and 40 inches. Free carbonates are in all parts. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. The 2C horizon contains 0 to 10 percent rock fragments. Most horizons above the 2C horizon do not have rock fragments, however, a thin pebble band is at the contact of the two sediments in some pedons.
The A horizon has 10YR hue, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. It is ranges from slightly effervescent to violently effervescent. Some pedons have an ABk horizon.
The Bk horizon has 10YR or 2.5Y hue, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. It typically is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand; but in some pedons the upper part is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam. Gypsum crystals are in this horizon in some pedons. The Bk horizon is strongly or violently effervescent. The calcic horizon has a calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 to 20 percent.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It commonly has redoximorphic features in most parts, but distinct or prominent redoximorphic features are not present above a depth of 20 inches. It is slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 5 to 15 percent. The texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The 2C horizon typically has hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4; but in some pedons the upper part of it has 10YR hue, with value and chroma ranging up to 6. It commonly has distinct or prominent redoximorphic features. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. It is slightly or strongly effervescent and contains an equivalent of 15 to 35 percent of calcium carbonate.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grimstad soils are in glacial lake plains and deltas on glacial moraines. Generally, they are on broad flats, but some are on long, narrow and irregularly shaped low rises that are 0 to 3 percent. Grimstad soils formed in 20 to 40 inches of sandy calcareous glaciolacustrine or outwash sediments over loamy calcareous till or silty lacustrine sediments. Mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation from 16 to 23 inches. Frost-free days range from 90 to 140. Elevation above sea level ranges from 800 to 1300 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kratka, Rockwell and Strathcona soils. These soils formed in similar materials and are in a drainage sequence with the Grimstad soils. They are poorly drained and occupy slightly lower landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is negligible or very low depending on slope and surface texture. Permeability is moderate to rapid in the upper part and moderate in the lower part. Depth to an apparent seasonal high water table is as high as 1.5 to 3.5 feet at some time from April through June in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Commonly used to grow small grains, potatoes, and sugar beets. Native vegetation is tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota. It is also in smaller glacial lake basins in western Minnesota. Moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Red River Valley Area, Minnesota, 1933.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - from the surface to 9 inches (Ap horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 9 to 22 inches (Bk horizons); contrasting particle size - texture change at 28 inches; aquic moisture regime.
Where the series has been correlated as moderately well drained a new series should be established (Aquic Calciudolls).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES Central File Code No. 927 for results of some laboratory analyses of the typical pedon.