LOCATION MARKA AK

Tentative Series
REV. CAP
04/2024

MARKA SERIES

Depth class: moderately deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: herbaceous organic material over sandy and loamy volcanic ash over medial silty volcanic ash over gravelly loamy till over residuum weathered from graywacke
Landscape: Islands
Landform: hills and plains
Slopes: 3 to 70 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 2250 mm (88.5 in)
Mean annual temperature: about 4 degrees C. (43 degrees F.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy-skeletal, ferrihydritic over mixed, superactive Andic Humicryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Marka ashy silt loam - on Sitka Spruce forest with devils club scrub understory at elevation of 49 meters (125 feet). (All colors are for moist soil)

Oa--0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2), dark brown (7.5YR 3/3), dry; highly decomposed plant material; friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm, 2 to 6 in thick)

C1--8 to 18 centimeters (3 to 7 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2), pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2), dry; ashy silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common (2.0) very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear smooth boundary.

C2--18 to 26 centimeters (7 to 10 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) ashy silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, few medium throughout; common very fine irregular and common fine pores; fragments; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary.

C3--26 to 34 centimeters (10 to 13 inches); 95 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and 5 percent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) ashy sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots throughout; common very fine interstitial and common fine pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness is 18 to 35 cm, 7 to 14 in thick)

2A--34 to 40 centimeters (13 to 16 inches); very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) medial silt loam; weak fine angular blocky structure; friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine medium roots, and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine irregular and common fine pores; 9 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 13 cm, 1 to 5 in thick)

2Bhs1--40 to 49 centimeters (16 to 19 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) highly organic medial silt loam; weak fine angular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine irregular and common fine pores; 9 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt smooth boundary.

2Bhs2--49 to 66 centimeters (19.3 to 26.0 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) medial highly organic silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine irregular and common fine pores; 9 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness is 18 to 38 cm, 7 to 15 in thick)

3C--66 to 80 centimeters (26 to 32 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), dry; very gravelly coarse sandy loam; weak fine angular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 35 cm, 3 to 14 in thick)

4R--80 to 105 centimeters (32 to 41 inches); indurated bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey Area, Alaska; Latitude 57 degrees 50 minutes 26.55 seconds and Longitude 152 degrees 26 minutes 13.19 seconds west, UTM north 6411115.04 and UTM east 533426.07, zone 5, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Mean annual soil temperature: 1.6 to 3.3 degrees C. (34.8 to 37.9 degrees F.)
Thickness of organic material: 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in)
Thickness of 1912 ash: 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in)
Depth to andic properties: 10 to 50 cm (4 to 21 in)
Depth to spodic horizon: 18 to 68 cm (7 to 27 in)
Depth to gravelly till: 36 to 101 cm (14 to 40 in)

Oa, Oe, Oi horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: slightly, moderately, or highly decomposed plant material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: (ashy and glassy) sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or silt loam
Sand: 30 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 8 percent
Silt: 10 to 55 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

2A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: medial silt loam, silt, loam, and very fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
Silt: 40 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

2Bhs or 2Bs horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: (medial) silt loam, silt, loam, or very fine sandy loam
Silt: 40 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 12 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 14 percent
Reaction Class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

2Bw horizon (Where present):
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: (medial) silt loam, silt, loam, or very fine sandy loam, or their gravelly analogues
Silt: 40 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 34 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

3C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, or their very or extremely gravelly analogues
Sand: 50 to 85 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Fragments: 35 to 70 percent
Reaction Class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

3R horizon: Strongly to indurated bedrock.

Some pedons have lithic contact greater than 100 cm (40 in).

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 5 to 300 meters (15 to 1000 feet)
Parent material: highly decomposed herbaceous organic material over sandy and loamy volcanic ash over medial silty volcanic ash over gravelly loamy till over residuum weathered from graywacke
Landform: hills and plains
Slopes: 3 to 70 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1500 to 3000 mm (59 to 98 in)
Mean annual temperature: 0 to 6 degrees C. (32 to 43 degrees F.)
Frost free period: 20 to 50 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Afognak, Izhut, Kazakof, Kodiak, Missak, Narrow Cape, Olds, Port Lions, Pyramid, Sa, Shuyak, Spiridon, and Tonki soils.
Afognak soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 50 cm (20 in) and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Izhut soils have aquic conditions within depths of 41 to 100 cm (16 to 40 in) and occur on similar landforms on drainageways and swale.
Kazakof soils have lithic contacts at depths less than 100 cm (40 in), have skeletal particle-sized control sections, and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Kodiak soils lack lithic contacts and occur on similar landforms on backslope and footslope positions.
Missak soils have thick organic horizons, lack spodic horizons, have aquic conditions less than 25 cm (10 in), and occur on drainageways, swales, and depressions.
Narrow Cape soils lack spodic horizons and occur on similar landforms.
Olds soils lack spodic horizons, have aquic conditions within 25 cm (10 in), and occur on similar landforms on drainageways, swales, and depresions.
Port Lions have lithic contacts at depths less than 100 cm (40 in) and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Pyramid soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 50 cm (20 in) and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Sa soils have thick organic horizons, lack spodic horizons, have aquic conditions less than 25 cm (10 in), and occur on drainageways, swales, and depressions.
Shuyak soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 50 cm (20 in), lack spodic horizons, and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Spiridon soils have lithic contacts at depths less than 100 cm (40 in), lack spodic horizons, and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Tonki soils have aquic conditions at depths less than 25 cm (10 in), lack spodic horizons, and occur on drainageways, swales, and depressions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high to very high in the C horizon, moderately high to high in the 2A, 2Bhs, and 2Bw horizons, and high to very high in the 3C.
Permeability: moderate to very rapid in the C horizon and moderate to rapid in the 2A, 2Bhs, and 2Bw, and moderate to very rapid in the 3C horizons.
Runoff: low to very high.

USE AND VEGETATION:
Used for *. Native vegetation is Sitka Spruce with Devils club understory.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 220 Alexander Archipelago-Gulf of Alaska Coast
Extent: extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Organic material: 0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in) (moderately decomposed hemic plant material) (Oe horizon)

1912 volcanic glass (ashy) material: 8 to 34 cm (3 to 14 in) (C horizon)

Andic soil properties: 34 to 66 cm (14 to 26 in) (2A, 2Bhs horizons)

Spodic horizon: 40 to 66 cm (16 to 26 in) (2Bhs horizon)

Lithologic discontinuity: 66 to 80 cm (26 to 32) (3C horizon)

Lithic contact: 80 to 105 cm (32 to 42 in)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 08MM 98005

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.