LOCATION HOLOMUA            HI
Established Series
Rev. RCH/NHS
08/2000

HOLOMUA SERIES


The Holomua series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from basic igneous rock influenced by volcanic ash. Holomua soils are on uplands and have slopes of 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual rainfall is about 18 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Typic Eutrotorrox

TYPICAL PEDON: Holomua silt loam - pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures.")

Ap1--0 to 2 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist and dry silt loam; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; violent effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; medium acid (pH 5.6); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)

Ap2--2 to 9 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) silt loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting into weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; many interstitial pores; common black manganese stains; violent effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; medium acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

B21--9 to 20 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) silt loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting into weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; violent effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)

B22--20 to 26 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist and dry silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting into moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common roots; many very fine abd fine tubular pores; violent effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 6 inches thick)

B23--26 to 38inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist and dry silty clay loam; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots; most of which are along vertical cleavage plans; many very fine pores; few glazed patches; many very fine black concretions; initially gritty when rubbed; firm in place; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (11 to 15 inches thick)

IIB24b--38 to 44 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry; strong very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots; many very fine tubular pores; few glazed patches; gritty feeling due to many hard earthy lumps that break down on rubbing; firm in place; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)

IIB25b--44 to 54 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3 and 7.5YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; strong very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots; many very fine tubular pores; few glazed patches; compact in place; initially gritty when rubbed; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

IIB26b--54 to 66 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate and strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots, most of which are along cleavage planes; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common thin patchy glaze; firm in place; initially gritty when rubbed; neutral (6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Molokai, Maui County, Hawaii; Kaunakakai Quadrangle 21 degrees 8 feet 3 inches N. latitude and 157 degrees 3 feet 1 inch W. longitude; approximately 3/4 mile southeast of the old Holomua School in California Packing Corporation's abandoned pineapple field. F.rom gate just west (makai) of Homelani Cemetery, proceed 0.2 mile north on road in pasture; turn right and proceed 0.4 mile; turn left and proceed 0.1 mile along fence; to site is 100 feet north of the fence.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 4 to more than 7 feet. The buried soil occurs at deoths from 24 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is about 74 degrees F. The soil is dry in some horizon for more than 90 cumulative days in most years.

The A horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, moist value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 4 through 6 dry.

The B horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, but the buried B horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR. This horizon has dry value of 3 or 4 and moist or dry chroma of 2 through 6. Structural grade ranges from weak to moderate in the B horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ewa, Kawaihae, Keahua, Molokai, Waiakoa, and the Waikapu series. Ewa, Keahua, and Molokai soils are silty clay loam throughout the B2 horizon and lack a buried B horizon. Kawaihae and Waiakoa soils are less than 40 inches dep to bedrock. Waikapu soils have strong structure in the upper part opf the B horizon and have pressure cutans and slickensides in the lower B horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Holomua soils are on uplands at elevations between 100 and 1,000 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in basic igneous material influenced by volcanic ash. The annual rainfall is about 15 to 20 inches, most of which occurs between April and November. The average January temperature is about 71 degrees F.; the average July temperature is about 77 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hoolehua soils and the competing Molokai and Waikapu soils. Hoolehua soils are silty clay throughout the solum.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff depending on slopes and erosion; moderte permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Major use is pasture. Pineapple and truck crops are grown under irrigation. Present vegetationis kiawe, featjer fingergrass, uhaloa, and buffelgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soils occurs on the leeward lower slopes of Centrakl and West Molokai. The series is inextensive, with a total of about 6,700 acres.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Maui County, Hawaii, 1971.

REMARKS: Mapped and published as Molokai series in 1955 Soil Survey of the Territory of Hawaii.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U. S. A.