LOCATION HIBBING            MN+WI 
Established Series
Rev. RRL-MAR-AGG
04/2005

HIBBING SERIES


The Hibbing series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in a thin mantle of loess and underlying fine, dense till on till plains and moraines. Slopes range from 3 to 45 percent. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is very slow. Mean annual air temperature is about 39 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is about 27 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Hibbing loam on an 8 percent linear slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A-- 0 to 4 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR4/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots; 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Bw-- 4 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots; 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

2E/B-- 8 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) loam (E horizon - 65 percent); brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay loam (Bt horizon - 35 percent); moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)

2Bt1-- 12 to 27 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very firm; common very fine and fine roots; common faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on vertical faces of peds; 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

2Bt2-- 27 to 36 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; firm; common faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) Fe concentrations; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

2Bt3-- 36 to 49 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) Fe concentrations; 2 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 15 to 40 inches.)

2BCd-- 49 to 80 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay; moderate very coarse and extremely coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium platy; very firm; few faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on vertical ped faces; 2 percent gravel; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 13 miles south of Aurora; 2450 feet north and 150 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 16, T. 56 N., R. 15 W. USGS Makinen, Minnesota Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 20 minutes 07 seconds N. and longitude 92 degrees 15 minutes 39 seconds W., NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates is greater than 50 inches. Rock fragment content ranges from 1 to 8 percent by volume throughout the profile. Depth to dense till is 40 to 60 inches. The loess mantle has less than 50 percent fine sand or coarser.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 to 3. An Ap horizon ranging from 6 to 9 inches in thickness is in cultivated areas and has value and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam. Reaction is very strongly acid to strongly acid.

The E horizon (when present) has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam, clay loam or silt loam. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, sandy loam, clay loam or silt loam. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.

The 2E/B and/or 2B/E horizons have characteristics similar to the horizons above and below them.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and value and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay or clay loam. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.

The 2BCd has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and value and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay or clay loam. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Calcium carbonate content is less than 15 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Majestic(T) and Sanborg series. Majestic soils have a mantle of glacial outwash or eolian material with greater than 50 percent fine sand or coarser. Sanborg soils have free carbonates at 20 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hibbing soils are on convex or linear surfaces of till plains and moraines. Slopes range from 3 to 45 percent. They formed in a thin mantle of loess and underlying fine, dense glacial till deposited by the St. Louis sublobe of late Wisconsin age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 38 to 41 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 25 to 28 inches. The frost-free period is 95 to 125 days. Elevation above sea level is 1250 to 1600 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buhl (T), Daisybay (T), Dora, Majestic(T), McQuade (T), Fayal (T), and Rifle soils. Somewhat poorly drained Buhl, poorly drained McQuade and very poorly drained Fayal soils form a hydrosequence with Hibbing soils. Moderately well drained Majestic soils have a coarse-textured mantle 20 to 40 inches thick. Very poorly drained Daisybay and Dora soils are on broad flats and in depressions and formed in organic materials over till. Very poorly drained Rifle soils are in depressions and formed in organic materials.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is medium to very high. Saturatged hydraulic conductivity is very slow. Hibbing soils have a perched seasonal high saturation at a depth of 1.0 to 2.5 feet at some time from April through May and October through November in normal years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Principal trees are aspen, balsam fir, white spruce and red pine. Some areas are used for cropland, hayland or pastureland. Native vegetation was mixed deciduous and coniferous forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Minnesota, MLRA-88. Moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pine County, Minnesota, 1935.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 12 inches (A, Bw and 2E/B horizons); Glossic horizon - the zone from 8 to 12 inches (2E/B horizon); Argillic horizon - the zone from 12 to 36 inches (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons); Densic materials - the zone from 49 to 80 inches (2BCd horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to S64Minn-69-2 and to S64Minn-69-1 for results of some laboratory analyses for additional pedons.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.