LOCATION HERCULES MOEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hercules gravelly loam - on a 1 percent slope in pasture at an elevation of 1,225 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; strong fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent chert gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--5 to 11 inches; black (10YR 2/1) gravelly loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate coarse granular structure parting to moderate fine granular; very friable; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent chert gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
A2--11 to 21 inches; black (10YR 2/1) very gravelly clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 55 percent chert gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 20 to 60 inches.)
Bw1--21 to 31 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) very gravelly clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 35 percent chert gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--31 to 41 inches; mixed very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 55 percent chert gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bw3--41 to 50 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) extremely gravelly clay; weak fine angular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many medium prominent dark gray (10YR 4/1) and gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions on faces of peds; few fine black iron and manganese concretions; few prominent black iron and manganese oxide stains on faces of peds; 65 percent chert gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bw4--50 to 80 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely gravelly clay; weak fine angular blocky structure; very firm; few very fine tubular pores; 70 percent chert gravel; common medium prominent gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions and few fine prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Texas County, Missouri; 1,200 feet south and 50 feet east of the northwest corner of section 26, T. 30 N., R. 9 W.; latitude 37 degrees 16 minutes 41 seconds N. and longitude 91 degrees 54 minutes 10 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 24 to over 60 inches and commonly extends into the Bw horizon. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 75 percent gravel and 35 to 60 percent clay.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam or their gravelly or very gravelly analogues. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The A horizon underlying the surface layer has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. Masses of iron accumulation with hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6 are commonly present below a depth of 30 inches. Texture and reaction are the same as the Ap horizon.
The Bw or C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 6. These horizons are the very gravelly or extremely gravelly analogues of silty clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Reaction is slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar series are the Waben and Cedargap series. Both of these soils are loamy-skeletal. In addition, Waben soils have an ochric epipedon and an argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hercules soils are on flood plains of small streams. They formed in silty and clayey alluvium with a high chert gravel content. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual temperature ranges from 55 to 58 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 46 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gasconade, Gatewood, Mano and Ocie series. All these soils occur on adjacent upland areas. Gasconade soils have bedrock within a depth of 20 inches. Gatewood soils have more clay and less coarse fragments in the subsoil and have bedrock within 40 inches. Mano and Ocie soils have a lighter colored surface layer.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is low to medium. Permeability is moderately slow. These soil are subject to occasional to frequent flooding. There is a apparent water table below a depth of about 30 inches in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forest vegetation or are partially cleared and used for hay or pasture. The forest type is mixed hardwood and eastern red cedar. The native vegetation is mixed hardwoods with some grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Ozark Highland Region (MLRA 116A) of southern Missouri and possibly adjacent areas of Arkansas. This soil is generally found in association with the Jefferson City-Cotter geologic formations that characterize the White River drainage area. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Barry County, Missouri, 1989.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 44 inches (Ap, A1, A2, and A3 horizons.)
ADDITIONAL DATA: University of Missouri soil characterization
laboratory reference number M90-215-31.