LOCATION MARINA CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, thermic Lamellic Xeropsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Marina loamy sand - annual grasses, formerly cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) light loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); (low acidity may be related to past management); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Ap2--7 to 12 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) light loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable (tillage pan), nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial and common fine and few medium tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
A--12 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) light loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grained; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial and many fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)
B1--27 to 33 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loamy sand, appears to be slightly finer than above, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine and medium tubular pores; several thin 1/4 inch thick discontinuous lamellae, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2 dry, 3/3 moist), lamellae are hard when dry and have thick clay bridges; very weak clay bridges in matrix; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
B2--33 to 50 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) light loamy sand, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 3 continuous distinct lamellae, top, bottom and middle, 1/4 to 3/4 inch thick, hard and friable, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; thick clay bridges in lamellae, very weak bridges in matrix; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
C1--50 to 61 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) sand, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; soft, loose; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; several brown (7.5YR 4/3) dry lamellae 1/4 to 3/4 inch thick, bands hard and friable; moderate clay bridges in lamellae; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
C2--61 to 88 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) sand, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) moist; single grained; soft, loose; many very fine interstitial pores; weak continuous lamellae 1 to 1.5 inches thick about 3 inches apart; thin clay bridges in lamellae; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Barbara County, California; about 7 miles southeast of Santa Maria, California; NW1/4SW1/4 sec. 7, T.9N., R.33W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is about 59 degrees to 62 degrees F. and the soil temperature usually is not below 47 degrees F. at any time. The mean summer soil temperature is about 65 degrees to 70 degrees F. and the mean winter soil temperature is about 55 degrees to 60 degrees F. The soil between depths of about 12 and 35 inches is usually dry all of the time from late April or May until November and is moist in some or all parts all the rest of the year. Rock fragments are lacking and textures throughout the profile are sand to loamy fine sand. Many pedons are about pH 5.7 to 6.3 and tend to be less acid in the uppermost and lower most horizons. The full range of reaction is neutral to strongly acid.
The A horizon is pale brown to dark yellowish brown (10YR 6/2, 6/3, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 4/3, 4/4). It has less than 1 percent organic matter in all parts or less than 1 percent below a depth of 5 inches. This horizon is massive or single grained or has granular or crumb structure.
The B2 horizon is light brown to strong brown (7.5YR 6/4, 5/4, 4/4, 5/6). It is massive and slightly hard or hard and slightly brittle. This horizon has brown or reddish brown lamellae 1/4 to 3/4 inch thick. The lamellae are thinner and more distinct from the matrix in the upper part of the horizon and become generally thicker and less distinct with depth. Clay bridges in the lamellae are moderately thick to thick and the lamellae are hard or very hard when dry and sticky when wet. The aggregate thickness of the lamellae is about 2 to 5 inches and the lamellae are about 2 to 6 inches apart. The matrix has some thin clay bridges.
The C horizon is very pale brown to light brown (10YR 7/3, 7/4, 6/3, 6/4; 7.5YR 7/2, 7/4, 6/4). It is sand or coarse sand and is soft when dry. Lamellae in this horizon become increasingly indistinct and more discontinuous with increasing depth.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arnold, Baywood, Betteravia, Corralitos, Garey, Oceano, and Tangair series. Arnold soils lack lamellae and have a paralithic contact below a depth of 40 inches. Baywood soils have a mollic epipedon. Betteravia soils have an argillic horizon and a weak duripan. Corralitos soils lack lamellae. Garey soils have an argillic horizon made up of lamellae (aggregate thickness of more than 6 inches). Oceano soils are soft or loose in the matrix and the lamellae have thin or very thin clay bridges. Tangair soils are seasonally saturated to within 24 inches of the surface and have concretions rather than lamellae.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Marina soils are gently sloping to moderately steep and are on short rolling dune-like slopes at elevations of 100 to 700 feet. They formed in old sand dunes near the coast. The climate is dry subhumid mesothermal with dry somewhat foggy summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. Average January temperature is 50 degrees to 55 degrees F., average July temperature is 62 degrees to 67 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is 58 degrees to 61 degrees F. The freeze-free season is 300 to 350 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Baywood, Corralitos, Garey, and Oceano soils and the Carlsbad and Chesterton soils. Carlsbad soils have concretions and a weak duripan. Chesterton soils have a duripan and a fine textured argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability. The soil above the B2 horizons is wet for several days to a week or more after periods of unusually heavy precipitation.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for range. Some areas used for irrigated alfalfa and special crops. Vegetation is chamise, flattop buckwheat, black sagebrush, small live oak trees, annual grasses, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coast areas in south and south-central California. The soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Monterey County (Salinas Area), California, 1925.
REMARKS: The Marina soils were formerly classified as Regosols. The classification was updated in February 2001 using the Eighth Edition to Soil Taxonomy. This series was formerly classified as mixed, thermic, Alfic Xeropsamments. Competing series were not checked at that time.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last major revision by state on 9/73.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon S76CA-073-001 (range in characteristics).