LOCATION LADYLIBERTY NJ

Established Series
MCT
12/2012

LADYLIBERTY SERIES

The Ladyliberty series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils with moderately low to moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. These soils are formed a in thick mantle of human transported material consisting of coal slag, dredged materials, and/or any geologic deposits ranging from till, outwash, alluvium, or coastal plain sediments usually from a local source. These soils occur on anthropogenic landforms in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees Celsius and mean annual precipitation is about 1196 millimeters.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Oxyaquic Udorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Ladyliberty fine sandy loam on a large unsmoothed pile of human transported material with a 1 percent slope. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

^Au--0 to 5 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots throughout; 10 percent gravel-sized coal slag fragments; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary (5 to 27 centimeters thick).

^ABu--5 to 16 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) artifactual loam; moderate medium subangular blocky and moderate fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots around fragments; 15 percent coarse subangular gravel-sized coal slag, 2 percent gravel-sized fine wire, bed springs and glass; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary (3 to 11 cm thick).

2^Cu1--16 to 39 cm; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) very artifactual loamy sand; massive; loose; few fine roots within cracks; 25 percent gravel-sized subangular coal slag and brick, 20 percent gravel-sized wood, 2 percent gravel-sized wire; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

2^Cu2--39 to 65 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) extremely artifactual loamy sand; massive; firm; 70 percent gravel-sized subangular coal slag; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of ^Cu horizon is 24 to 151 cm).

3^C1--65 to 96 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sand; massive or single grain; loose; 20 percent well rounded fine gravel, 2 percent shell fragments; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.

3^C2--96 to 167 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sand; massive or single grain; loose to firm; 2 percent well rounded fine gravels; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the ^C horizon is 109 to 188 cm.)

3^Cg1--167 to 185 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sand; single grain; loose; 2 percent gravel-sized well rounded fine gravels; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary (Combined thickness of ^Cg horizon is 15 to 65 cm).

4Cg2--185 to 200 cm; very dark gray (N 3/) silt loam; massive; firm; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Hudson County, New Jersey: Located about 3000 feet south of the intersection of interstate I-78 and Johnston Avenue on a plain of human transported material in Liberty State Park; USGS Jersey City, NJ/NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 40 degrees, 42 minutes, 06.9 seconds N. and Longitude 74 degrees, 03 minutes, 6.7 seconds W.; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the human transported materials ranges from 165 centimeters or more thick and is a mix of coal slag, dredged materials, and/or any geologic deposits ranging from till, outwash, alluvium, or coastal plain sediments usually from a local source. There may be a thin loamy capping that is relatively clean of refuse, with less than 20 percent rock fragments. Rock fragments (by volume) are 35 percent or more in the particle size control section. Artifactual, very artifactual or extremely artifactual modifiers are common. Artifacts found within the upper fill materials may not be present in underlying dredged or natural soils. Dredged materials may have shell fragments. Lithological discontinuities are common features in many pedons. Textures of the fine earth fraction include loamy sand to sand. Finer textured materials are generally not within the control section. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly alkaline.

Some pedons have a thin O horizon.

The ^A, ^Au, ^ABu or ^ACu horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 4. Consistence is very friable or friable. Structure is granular or subangular blocky.

The ^C or ^Cu horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 6. The layer is single grain, massive or subangular blocky. Some pedons have ^Cdu horizons with properties similar to the ^Cu horizon.

Some pedons have ^Cg horizons that have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or N, value of 3 or 4, and a chroma of 2 or less. The structure is single grain or massive.

Some pedons have C or Cg horizons that reflect the characteristics of the original buried soil materials which is typically sand bar deposits.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Acton series. Acton soils formed in sandy glacial till on uplands, rather than human transported materials.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ladyliberty soils are on nearly level to gently sloping artificially created or modified landforms in filled areas. These soils formed in human transported materials 165 cm or more thick. There may be a thin loamy capping over the coal slag, dredged materials, and/or geologic material. The transported geologic material is dominantly from locally excavated till, alluvium, outwash, and/or coastal plains sediments. Dredged materials may have shells fragments. Natural rock fragments when present are derived mainly from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1021 to 1325 millimeters. Mean annual temperature ranges from 8 to 17 degrees Celsius.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fortress, Laguardia, Rikers, and Secaucus soils on nearby landscapes. Fortress soils are moderately well drained and formed in similar materials but have less than 20 percent fragments. Laguardia soils are well drained, have a loamy particle size class, and are formed in a thick mantle of construction debris intermingled with human transported materials. Secaucus soils have a loamy skeletal particle size class and are formed in a thick mantle of human transported material consisting of a mixture of construction debris and other anthropogenic fill materials. Rikers soils are excessively well drained and are formed in unburned coal and coal ash.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to medium on vegetated areas. The potential for surface runoff is high where the soil is compacted and/or un-vegetated. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in areas where the soil has not been compacted and is moderately low in areas of compaction.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of these soils are used for recreation, wildlife habitat, or industrial and urban development. These soils are generally covered with weeds such as goldenrod, mugwort, bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, woodbine, and poison ivy. There may also be pioneer and sapling species present such as poplar, staghorn sumac, white pine, black cherry, willow, gray birch, quaking aspen, and red oak. If the soils are found in a recreational area, turf grass may also be the dominant vegetation.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils occur on modified landscapes in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. MLRA 144A. The soils of this series are small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hudson County, New Jersey; 2012.

REMARKS: Ladyliberty soils often exhibit an irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth however this is a result of anthropogenic filling (deposition) not alluvial deposition; excluding them from the concept of Fluvents. Proposed revisions to soil taxonomy in ICOMANTH Circular Letter 7 developed for anthropogenic soils will help to clarify this difference.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - 0 to 16 cm (^Au horizon).
2. Sandy-skeletal - 41 percent rock fragments (by volume) in the particle size control section (25 to 100 centimeters)
3. Oxyaquic classification- water table at a depth of 112 cm from the soil surface.
4. In coal slag horizons, the carbon content is from these materials and should not have a mucky modifier. Carbon contents are not related to organic material deposition.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Full characterization data for sample no. 2010NJ017009. Pedon analyzed by the NSSL, Lincoln, NE. The typical pedon is no. 2010NJ017001. Support pedons used to develop this series include 2010NJ017003, 2010NJ017005, 2010NJ017010, 2010NJ017012 and 2010NJ017017.
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.