LOCATION GROVECITY MN+INEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Grovecity loam, on an east-facing slope of 1 percent, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of about 361 meters above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 25 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few roots; about 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--25 to 38 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few roots; about 1 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bw1--38 to 51 centimeters; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) organic coats on faces of peds; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron concentrations; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--51 to 76 centimeters; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions and few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron concentrations; about 4 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk--76 to 107 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) fine sandy loam; massive; friable; common threads and masses of calcium carbonate; common medium distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions; about 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
BCk1--107 to 152 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) fine sandy loam; massive; friable; few threads and masses of calcium carbonate; common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; about 7 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
BCk2--152 to 203 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) fine sandy loam; massive; friable; few threads and masses of calcium carbonate; common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions and few fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6); about 7 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 103-Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies, Meeker County, Minnesota subset; about 4 miles north and 1/2 mile east of Grovecity; located about 40 feet north and 260 feet west of the southeast corner of section 11, T. 120 N., R. 32 W.; USGS Grove City topographic quadrangle; lat. 45 degrees 12 minutes 40 seconds N. and long. 94 degrees 39 minutes 23 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness--20 to 49 centimeters
Depth to carbonates--45 to 90 centimeters
Clay content of particle-size control section (weighted average)--14 to 18 percent--up to 5 percent clay-size carbonates; some subhorizons--22 percent
Sand content of particle-size control section (weighted average)--45 to 65 percent
Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--fine sandy loam, loam
Clay content--10 to 22 percent
Sand content--45 to 65 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 6 percent
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.3
Thickness--20 to 49 centimeters
AB horizon (when present):
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or is neutral
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Clay content--10 to 22 percent
Sand content--45 to 65 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 6 percent
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.3
Thickness--0 to 25 centimeters
Bw horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 or 6
Texture--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
Clay content--14 to 18 percent
Sand content--45 to 65 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 6 percent
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.4
Thickness--20 to 60 centimeters
Bk horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 to 6
Texture--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
Clay content--10 to 16 percent
Sand content--45 to 65 percent
Rock fragment content--3 to 6 percent gravel; 3 to 8 percent cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent--10 to 25 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 7.8
Thickness--0 to 50 centimeters
BCk and C horizons:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 to 6
Texture--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
Clay content--10 to 16 percent
Sand content--45 to 65 percent
Rock fragment content--3 to 6 percent gravel; 3 to 8 percent cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Elrin,
Hoopeston,
Linder,
Wesley, and
Yahara series.
Elrin--have a sand content that averages more than 65 percent in lower third of the series control section
Hoopeston--have a clay content of less than 8 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Linder--have a rock fragment content that averages more than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Wesley--have a clay content of more than 18 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Yahara--have a rock fragment content of less than 3 percent in the lower third of the series control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--till of the Wadena Lobe of Wisconsin age
Landform--nearly level and convex slopes on moraines
Slope--1 to 3 percent
Elevation--190 to 400 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--6 to 11 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--585 to 990 millimeters
Frost-free period--155 to 200 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Lundlake,
Sunburg,
Uniongrove, and
Wadenill soils.
Lundlake--are on lower landscape positions in depressions and have a mollic epipedon more than 60 centimeters thick
Sunburg--are on higher landscape positions and have carbonates throughout the profile
Wadenill--are on higher landscape positions on backslopes and summits and do not have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 1.8 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of the 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Uniongrove--are on slightly lower landscape positions and are frequently saturated at the soil surface during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of the 30 year mean of annual precipitation
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--moderately well drained--a frequently saturated zone occurs between depths of 0.75 and 1.2 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of the 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--10.00 to 100.00 micrometers per second
USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay. The native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass and other species of the tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Western lake section and Till Plains
MLRAs--Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (103) and Indiana and Ohio Till Plain, Northwestern Part (111C)
LRR M; west-central and central Minnesota and northwestern Indiana
Extent--small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota; MLRA SSO 10-5 (Albert Lea, Minnesota).
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, 1984.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (A, Bw1, Bw2, and Bk horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (Ap, A, Bw1, Bw2, Bk, and BCk1 horizons).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 38 centimeters (Ap and A horizons);
cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 38 to 107 centimeters (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons);
calcic horizon--the zone from a depth of 76 to 107 inches (Bk horizon);
udic moisture regime.
Cation-exchange class is inferred from lab data for similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--University of Minnesota CFC 3573.