LOCATION KELVIN ND

Established Series
LLD-CJH
07/2015

KELVIN SERIES

The Kelvin series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly and slowly permeable soils that formed in glacial till. These soils are on uplands and have slopes ranging from 0 to 25 percent. The mean air annual temperature is about 39 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 25 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Chromic Vertic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Kelvin loam - on a 10 percent north-facing slope under mixed hardwood. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)

Oi--2 inches to 0; black (10YR 2/1) undecomposed leaves and twigs; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

E--0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium, fine and very fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

B/E--5 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry (Bt); brown (10YR 4/3) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry (E); strong fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots; continuous faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)

Bt1--8 to 15 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate coarse and strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; continuous prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--15 to 27 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) crushed, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; few medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; continuous prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--27 to 41 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) and few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine carbonate coatings in root channels and on faces of peds; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined Bt horizons 13 to 38 inches thick)

C--41 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; weak very coarse prismatic structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine carbonate coatings in root channels and on faces of peds; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Bottineau County, North Dakota; 10 miles north and 0.2 miles west of Bottineau; 1000 feet west and 500 feet north of the southeast corner, sec. 36, T. 164 N., R. 76 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to carbonates ranges from 13 to 48 inches. The soil contains up to 10 percent by volume of coarse fragments throughout.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam. It has weak or moderate platy structure and moderate subangular blocky structure. It is moderately acid to neutral. Some pedons have A horizons. In some pedons the E horizon has been mixed with the A horizon as a result of tillage.

The B portion of the B/E horizon has color and texture ranges like the Bt horizon and the E portion is like the E horizon.

The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam or clay. It has moderate or strong prismatic structure and moderate or strong angular blocky structure. It is very strongly acid to slightly alkaline. Some pedons have a Bk horizon.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 moist or dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Citadel series. Citadel soils have redder hues and formed in residuum or alluvium from sandstone, limestone or soft shale.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kelvin soils are on level to hilly upland glacial till plains. The slopes range from 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in fine-loamy glacial till under forest vegetation. The climate is subhumid with warm summers and long cold winters. The mean annual air temperature is 35 to 39 degrees F and mean annual precipitation is 16 to 26 inches, most of which falls in the spring and summer. Frost-free period ranges from 100 to 120 days and elevation ranges from 1150 feet (350 meters) to 2525 feet (770 meters).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bottineau, Eramosh, Metigoshe, and Rolla soils. Bottineau soils have a mollic epipedon, less than 35 percent clay in the control section, and do not have an E horizon. Metigoshe soils have more and sand and less clay in the control section and have underlying layers of sand and gravel. They are on nearby collapsed outwash plains. Rolla soils formed in clayey glaciolacustrine sediments on nearby collapsed lake plains. Eramosh soils are in fens and are ponded during part of the growing season.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium or rapid. Moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are primarily used for woodland pasture or wildlife habitat. Most areas remain in noncommercial stands of aspen, birch, oak and ash with an understory of shrubs. A few areas are used for the production of timber. Some areas have been cleared and used for small grains or hay.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central North Dakota. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rolette County, North Dakota, 1960.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 8 to 41 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons); vertic criteria - LE of more than 6 cm in upper meter.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.