LOCATION GEELS MI

Established Series
JMQ
08/2012

GEELS SERIES

The Geels series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils on lake plains and outwash plains. These soils formed in sandy deposits and the underlying clayey and loamy material. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C (44 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Oxyaquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Geels sand, on a 1 percent slope in a forest at an elevation of 363 meters (1,190 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 5 cm (2 inches); black (10YR 2/1) sand, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine to medium and common coarse roots; 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [2.5 to 8 cm (1 to 3 inches) thick]

Bw1--5 to 23 cm (2 to 9 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--23 to 36 cm (9 to 14 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) sand; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bw3--36 to 53 cm (14 to 21 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bw4--53 to 74 cm (21 to 29 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sand; single grain; loose; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; 2 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 41 to 102 cm (16 to 40 inches).]

E--74 to 124 cm (29 to 49 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grain; loose; few very fine to medium roots; few fine and medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron throughout; 1 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 51 cm (20 inches) thick]

2Bt--124 to 140 cm (49 to 55 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very firm; few very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on vertical and horizontal on faces of peds; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron; few fine prominent greenish gray (10Y 6/1) iron depletions; 1 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

2BC--140 to 180 cm (55 to 71 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay; strong medium angular blocky structure; very firm; few very fine and fine roots; very few very fine tubular pores; common prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and common prominent gray (10YR 6/1) silt coatings on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2B horizon ranges from 13 to 64 cm (5 to 25 inches).]

2C--180 to 203 cm (71 to 80 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky fragments; firm; few faint brown (10YR 5/3) pressure faces on faces of fragments; few coarse faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; 3 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Roscommon County, Michigan; about 10 miles southeast of the town of Roscommon; about 200 feet north and 2,900 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 24, T. 24 N., R.1 W.; USGS St. Helen NW topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 27 minutes 1 second N. and long. 84 degrees 22 minutes 52 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the sandy mantle: 114 to 152 cm (45 to 60 inches)
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 127 to 193 cm (50 to 76 inches)
Depth to redoximorphic features: 74 to 102 cm (29 to 40 inches)
Rock fragment content: 0 to 3 percent gravel throughout
Mean annual soil temperature: 5.0 to 7.2 degrees C (41 to 45 degrees F)

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2

E horizon, where present below the A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

E or E' horizon (beneath the Bw horizon):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 or 7
Chroma: 3 or 4
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

2Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silty clay loam, clay, clay loam, or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Reaction: strongly acid to strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Geels soils are on lake plains and outwash plains of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The Geels soils formed in sandy outwash and the underlying clayey lacustrine deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 813 mm (28 to 32 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 4.4 to 6.7 degrees C (40 to 44 degrees F). Frost-free period is 100 to 120 days. Elevation is 183 to 488 meters (600 to 1,600 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Graycalm, Perecheney, Allendale, Kinross, Loxley and Dawson soils. The somewhat excessively drained Graycalm soils are on similar or slightly higher landscape positions. The moderately well drained Perecheney soils are common associates on similar landscape positions. The somewhat poorly drained Allendale soils and the poorly drained Kinross soils are on slightly lower areas and drainageways. The very poorly drained Dawson and Loxley soils are in depressions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 76 to 107 cm (2.5 to 3.5 feet) between November and May in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the sandy horizons and moderately low or low in the clayey horizons. Permeability is rapid in the sandy horizons and slow or very slow in the clayey horizons.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are forested. Native vegetation is second growth northern hardwoods and conifers. Common trees are quaking aspen, red maple, black oak, jack pine, red pine, and black cherry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 94A in the northern Lower Michigan. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Roscommon County, Michigan, 1999.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 5 cm (2 inches) (A horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 124 to 140 cm (49 to 55 inches) (2Bt horizon).
Aquic conditions: redox concentrations in all horizons below a depth of 74 cm (29 inches) and iron depletions in all horizons below a depth of 124 cm (49 inches).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.