LOCATION MALDEN                  MO

Established Series
Rev. RLT-LJG
10/2018

MALDEN SERIES


The Malden series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils formed in sandy alluvium on natural levees and terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual temperature is 60 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 50 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, thermic Typic Udipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Malden fine sand - on a 1 percent convex slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap1--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) fine sand; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

Ap2--4 to 10 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) loamy fine sand; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable; few fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Ap horizon is 5 to 15 inches.)

Bw1--10 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy fine sand; very weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--22 to 41 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy fine sand; very weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 14 to 42inches.)

C1--41 to 50 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sand; single grain; loose, slightly coherent when moist; few fine roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

C2--50 to 69 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; single grain; loose; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Dunklin County, Missouri; about 3/4 mile south of Kennett; 420 feet north and 1,290 feet west of the center of sec. 12, T. 18 N., R. 9 E. Latitude 36 degrees, 12 minutes, 57.1 seconds N., longitude 90 degrees, 2 minutes, 46.1 seconds W., NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 54 inches, but commonly is 30 to 48 inches. It is strongly acid to neutral. The control section has more than 5 percent silt plus clay.

The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sand, fine sand or loamy fine sand. Some pedons lack Ap2 horizons.

The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4 to 6, and some pedons are reddish brown (5YR 4/4). It typically is loamy fine sand, fine sand, and loamy sand.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is fine sand or sand. Some pedons have brown and grayish brown mottles below depths of 48 inches and some contain thin strata of loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Assateague, Buncombe, Crevasse, Peveto, and Tarboro series. Assateague soils have less than 5 percent silt plus clay in the control section. Buncombe soils have less fine sand and have flakes of mica throughout. Crevasse soils contain less silt and clay in the solum, have less fine sand throughout, and lack hues redder than 10YR in the upper part of the 10 to 40 inch control secton. Peveto soils have shell fragments throughout. Tarboro soils have less fine and very fine sand and typically contain fewer weatherable minerals.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Malden soils formed in sandy alluvium. They are nearly level or on gently undulating slopes ranging from 0 to 5 percent. These soils are on broad, slightly convex, natural levees and terraces. Mean annual temperature ranges from 58 to 65 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 55 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Beulah, Bosket, Broseley, Canalou, Dubbs, Dundee, and Farrenburg soils. Beulah soils are coarse-loamy. Bosket, Broseley, Dubbs, Dundee, and Farrenburg soils have argillic horizons and contain more clay. Canalou soils have mottles with chroma of 2 or less above depths of 40 inches. These soils are on similar positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Runoff is negligible to very low. Permeability is rapid. The saturated hydraulic conductivity is high.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most Malden soils are cultivated. Crops include cotton, soybeans, wheat, corn, purple hull peas, grain sorghum, watermelons and cantaloupes. The native vegetation is hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Missouri, MLRA 131. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AUBURN, ALABAMA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dunklin County, Missouri, 1977.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and feature recognized in this series are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 10 inches (Ap, Ap2 horizons); udic moisture regime.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.