LOCATION GRYTAL                  MN

Established Series
Rev. MPD-RTR-AGG
02/2011

GRYTAL SERIES

The Grytal series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loamy and sandy glacial outwash on outwash plains, terraces, beaches, lake plains and moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 4.0degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is about 710 mm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, frigid Oxyaquic Eutrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Grytal sandy loam on a stream terrace with a 1 percent linear slope under a mixed deciduous and coniferous forest at an elevation of 410 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 5 cm; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

E--5 to 8 cm; pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) loamy sand; pinkish gray (5YR 7/2) dry; weak fine platy structure; very friable; many fine roots; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear broken boundary. (0 to 5 cm thick)

Bw1--8 to 38 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; very friable; common fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bw2--38 to 51 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; very friable; common fine roots; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; about 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 25 to 58 cm)

2C1--51 to 102 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; single grain; loose; common fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) Fe concentrations; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.

2C2--102 to 203 cm; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sand; single grain; loose; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) Fe concentrations and common medium prominent pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) Fe depletions; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid.

TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 6.5 miles south of Canyon; 1,400 feet west and 2,200 feet north of the southeast corner of section 14, T. 53 N., R. 17 W.,; USGS Canyon Quadrangle, latitude 47 degrees 4 minutes 30 seconds N. and longitude 92 degrees 27 minutes 21 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to sand or loamy sand ranges from 41 to 64 cm. Depth to free carbonates is greater than 203 cm. Rock fragment content, by volume, is less than 2 percent throughout however individual horizons may contain strata up to 10 percent. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid throughout the profile.

The A horizon has hue of 5YR, 5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam or fine sandy loam.

The E horizon has hue of 5YR, 17.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loamy sand or loamy fine sand.

The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 4 to 6. It is sandy loam or fine sandy loam.

The 2C horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value and chroma of 3 to 6. It has faint, distinct or prominent Fe depletions. It is sand, coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand. It has greater than 25 percent medium and coarser sand.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grytal soils have convex to concave slopes. They formed in glacial outwash on outwash plains, terraces, beaches, lake washed till plains and moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 2.2 to 5.5 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is 660 to 760 mm. Annual frost free days range from 90 to 120 days. The elevation above sea level ranges from 350 to 500 meters.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cromwell, Hellwig, and Spidercreek soils. The somewhat excessively drained Cromwell soils are on higher lying positions on the landscape. The poorly drained Hellwig and Spidercreek soils are on lower lying positions on the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is negligible to very low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 14.11 to 42.34 micrometers per second (2 to 6 inches per hour in the upper part and 42.34 to 423.43 micrometers per second (6 to 60 inches per hour) in the lower part. Depth to apparent seasonal high saturation is as high as 76 cm below the surface during spring in normal years.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs-88 and 93A. Northeast Minnesota. Minor extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota, (Duluth subset), 2007.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 8 cm (A and E horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 8 to 51 cm (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons); oxyaquic subgroup - based on saturation above a depth of 102 cm. 2/14/2011-TYPE LOCATION error was corrected.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.