LOCATION MARCUS IA+MN
Established Series
Rev. CSF-RID-DJP
08/2017
MARCUS SERIES
The Marcus series consists of very deep, poorly drained and very poorly drained soils formed in loess on uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 8 degrees C (47 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 710 millimeters (28 inches).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Marcus silty clay loam, on a slope of about 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches); black (N 2.5/) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium and fine granular; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--25 to 38 centimeters (10 to 15 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few black (10YR 2/1) concretions (manganese oxides); slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--38 to 48 centimeters (15 to 19 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; few black (10YR 2/1) concretions (manganese oxides); common fine faint very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) and few fine distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) redox depletions; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 15 to 24 inches.)
Bg1--48 to 61 centimeters (19 to 24 inches); olive gray (5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular structure; friable; black (10YR 2/1) on surfaces along pores and root channels; few strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and black (10YR 2/1) concretions (iron and manganese oxides); few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; common medium faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) redox depletions; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bg2--61 to 79 centimeters (24 to 31 inches); olive gray (5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; some black (10YR 2/1) on surfaces along pores and root channels; common strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and black (10YR 2/1) concretions (iron and manganese oxides); common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; common medium faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) redox depletions; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bg3--79 to 102 centimeters (31 to 40 inches); olive gray (5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and black (10YR 2/1) masses (iron and manganese oxides); common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; common medium faint gray (5Y 5/1) redox depletions; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bg horizon is 38 to 76 centimeters (15 to 30 inches).]
BCg--102 to 117 centimeters (40 to 46 inches); olive gray (5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and black (10YR 2/1) masses (iron and manganese oxides); common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cg--117 to 152 centimeters (46 to 60 inches); olive gray (5Y 5/2) and light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silt loam; massive; friable; common strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and black (10YR 2/1) concretions (iron and manganese oxides); common very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate masses and few very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate nodules; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redox concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Land Resource Unit (LRU) 107A (Iowa and Minnesota Loess Hills); Cherokee County, Iowa; about 4 miles north and 1/2 mile west of Marcus; about 1860 feet west and 310 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 9, T. 93 N., R. 42 W; USGS Granville East topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 52 minutes 53 seconds N. and long. 95 degrees 48 minutes 24 seconds W., NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 30 to 61 centimeters (12 to 24 inches)
Depth to till: greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 61 to 122 centimeters (24 to 48 inches)
Particle-size control section: averages 30 to 35 percent clay
Clay content decreases regularly through the B horizon and into the C horizon
Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or Neutral
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 0 or 1
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 36 to 42 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
An AB horizon is in some pedons.
Bg horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline
BCg horizon (when present):
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silty loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Cg horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
2Cg horizon (where present below the series control section or depths of 150 centimeters):
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam or clay loam
Rock fragment content: 1 to 8 percent
Moist bulk density: 1.6 to 1.8 g/cc
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Chalmers,
Chetomba,
Dolbee,
Drummer,
Dunham,
Elpaso,
Elvira,
Garwin,
Gillett Grove,
Hartsburg,
Madelia,
Mascoutah,
Maxcreek,
Maxfield,
Maxmore,
Ossian,
Patton,
Pella,
Rushmore,
Sable, and
Wacousta series.
Chalmers-- have a lithologic discontinuity (till) within the series control section
Chetomba--average less than 30 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Dolbee-- are deeper than 122 centimeters to carbonates
Drummer--have less than 36 percent clay in the A horizon
Dunham--have a lithologic discontinuity (loamy outwash) within the series control section
Elpaso--have a lithologic discontinuity (till) within the series control section
Elvira--are deeper than 122 centimeters to carbonates
Garwin--have less than 36 percent clay in the A horizon
Gillett Grove--have a lithologic discontinuity (till) within the series control section
Hartsburg--have less than 36 percent clay in the A horizon
Madelia--have less than 36 percent clay in the A horizon
Mascoutah--have less than 36 percent clay in the A horizon
Maxcreek--have a lithologic discontinuity (till) within the series control section
Maxfield--have a lithologic discontinuity (till) within the series control section
Maxmore--have a lithologic discontinuity (till) within the series control section
Ossian--average less than 30 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Patton--have less than 36 percent clay in the A horizon
Pella--have a lithologic discontinuity (stratified loamy sediments) within the series control section
Rushmore--have a lithologic discontinuity (till) within the series control section
Sable--have less than 36 percent clay in the A horizon
Wacousta--have carbonates within a depth of 61 centimeters
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape---uplands
Slope--0 to 2 percent
Parent Material--loess
Mean annual air temperature--about 7 to 9 degrees C (45 to 48 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--about 660 to 710 millimeters (26 to 28 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Afton,
Galva,
Primghar, and
Sac soils.
Afton--are downslope in drainageways
Galva--are well drained and form a drainage sequence with the Marcus soils
Primghar--are somewhat poorly drained form a drainage sequence with the Marcus soils.
Sac--have higher chromas in the B horizon and clay loam till about 76 centimeters (30 inches)
Galva,
Primghar, and
Sac soils are on landform positions upslope from the Marcus soils
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained or very poorly drained -- seasonal high saturation occurs at the surface to a depth of 0.3 meter (1 foot) below the surface during the wettest period of normal years
Saturated hydraulic conductivity-0.10 to 10.00 micrometers per second
Permeability--moderately slow
Surface runoff--low to negligible
USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principle crops are corn and soybeans; small grain and legume hay are also grown. The native vegetative cover is an herbaceous wetland community commonly inhabited with Bluejoint Grasses, Fowl Bluegrasses, Green Muhlies, Fox Sedges, Field Sedges, Dudleys Rushes, Torreys Rushes, Swamp Milkweeds, False Sneezeweeds, False Asters, New England Asters, White Panicled Asters, and Wild Mints.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
LLR M; LRUs 102C and 107A; northwest Iowa and southwestern Minnesota.
Extent--large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED:
Cherokee County, Iowa, 1924.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (A1, A2, Bg1, Bg2, and Bg3 horizons.
Series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (Ap, A1, A2, Bg1, Bg2, Bg3, BCg, and Cg horizons).
Mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 48 centimeters (Ap, A1, and A2 horizons).
Cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 48 to 117 centimeters (Bg1, Bg2, Bg3, BCg horizons).
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth edition, 2014.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Available laboratory data indicate Marcus soils are marginal to the fine family as defined in Soil Taxonomy. Lab data for typical pedon is available from Iowa State University (lab # 35415-23).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.