LOCATION HALIFAX VA+NCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Halifax sandy loam (in an area of Halifax sandy loam, 2 to 8 percent slopes), in a hayfield. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)
Ap--0 to 13 inches, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; nonsticky; nonplastic; common fine roots; 2 percent quartz gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bt1--13 to 25 inches, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent red (2.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent quartz gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--25 to 39 inches, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; many medium prominent light gray (2.5Y 7/2) iron depletions; common fine prominent red (2.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent quartz gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 15 to 50 inches.)
Btg--39 to 58 inches, gray (10YR 6/1) clay; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) masses of oxidized iron and few fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron; few very fine and fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C--58 to 65 inches (147 to 165 cm), 60 percent pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4), 20 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and 20 percent white (2.5Y 8/1) clay loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Halifax County, Virginia; about 2,400 feet southeast of the junction of State Routes 716 and 854; 900 feet east of State Route 854 in a hayfield; on the South Boston, Virginia USGS topographic quadrangle; lat. 36 degrees 43 minutes 22.3 seconds N. and long. 78 degrees 52 minutes 46.3 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of Argillic horizon: 6 to 18 inches
Depth to base of Argillic horizon: Greater than 30 inches
Thickness of clayey part of Argillic horizon: 20 inches or more
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 60 inches
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 18 to 30 inches, November to May
Rock Fragment content: 0 to 35 percent, by volume throughout the soil profile
Mica content: Few to common flakes of mica in the B and C horizons
Soil Reaction: Extremely acid to strongly acid throughout the profile, unless limed
Other features: Linear extensibility percentage (LEP) of the heaviest textured subsurface horizon is 6 to 9 (high shrink-swell potential).
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 1 to 4
Texture--coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam, in the fine earth fraction
E horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8 chroma of 2 to 6
Texture--coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam in the fine earth fraction
BE or BA horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8 chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--sandy loam, sandy clay loam or loam in the fine earth fraction
Bt horizons:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--sandy clay, clay, clay loam, or sandy clay loam in the fine earth fraction
Redoximorphic features-masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray occur within 24 inches of the upper boundary of the Bt horizon
Btg horizons:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 4 to 7
Texture--sandy clay, clay, or clay loam in the fine earth fraction
Redoximorphic features--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
BC horizon or BCt horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8 chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
BCg horizon or BCtg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 4 to 7
Texture--loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction
Redoximorphic features--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
C horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loam in the fine earth fraction
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
Cg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2 5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 4 to 7
Texture--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loam in the fine earth fraction
Redoximorphic features--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
COMPETING SERIES:
Banister soils--occur on stream and river terrace landscapes
Lackstown soils--formed in residuum from Triassic aged materials
Latham soils--are moderately deep and formed in shale residuum
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont upland
Landform: Low hills
Geomorphic Component: Interfluves, head slopes
Hillslope Profile Position: Summits, backslopes, toeslopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic igneous and metamorphic rocks
Slope: 2 to 15 percent
Elevation: 350 to 1,200 feet
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 52 to 57 degrees
Mean Annual Precipitation: 40 to 50 inches
Frost Free Period: 165 to 200 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bentley soils--have a capping formed from old alluvium/colluvium and are moderately well drained
Nathalie soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy and are well drained
Clifford soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy, a red subsoil, and are well drained
Fairview soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy, have a thinner red subsoil, and are well drained
Minnieville soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy without a kandic horizon, red subsoil, and are well drained
Toast soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy and are well drained
Rhodhiss soils--have a fine-loamy particle size control section and are well drained
Jackland soils--have smectitic mineralogy, greater base saturation, and are moderately well drained or somewhat poorly drained
Montalto soils--have greater base saturation, a red subsoil, and are well drained
Orange soils--have smectitic mineralogy, greater base saturation, an abrupt texture change, and are moderately well drained or somewhat poorly drained
Rasalo soils--have greater base saturation and are well drained
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Depth Class: Very deep (Greater than 72 inches)
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Moderately well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) and common (present 3 to 6 months)
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration: None
Index Surface Runoff: Medium to high
Permeability: Slow
Shrink-Swell Potential: High
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Idle land and pasture
Dominant Vegetation: Where wooded, willow Oak, white Oak, yellow-poplar, sweetgum and loblolly pine
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Virginia and North Carolina
Extent: Moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Halifax County, Virginia, 2004.
REMARKS: Halifax soils were previously mapped as Helena soils. The creation of a mesic region within the southern Piedmont necessitated a new series be established as a counterpart to the Helena series.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 13 inches (Ap horizon)
Aquic conditions--periodic saturation and reduction in a zone from 25 to 60 inches at some time during the year.
Argillic horizon--the zone from 13 to 58 inches (Btg horizons)
Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 60 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory Data: None available at this time.
Database Information: Typical Pedon Data mapunit ID--103314