LOCATION MARKES PA+MDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Typic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Markes channery silt loam-cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) channery silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 15 percent shale fragments; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Btg1--11 to 20 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) extremely channery silty clay loam; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and light gray (5Y 7/1) mottles; moderate fine and medium blocky and subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, slightly plastic; 60 percent rock fragments; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Btg2--20 to 27 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) extremely channery loam; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, slightly plastic; 70 percent shale fragments; thin faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Cg--27 to 32 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) extremely channery loam; massive; 80 percent shale; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)
R--32 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fractured noncalcareous shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Pennsylvania; Peters Township, 7/8 mile northeast of Freys.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 18 to 36 inches. Depth to shale bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments of shale range from 5 to 35 percent by volume in the A horizon, 35 to 80 percent in the B horizon, and 60 to 90 percent in the C horizon. Thin subhorizons may contain fewer rock fragments. Reaction when cultivated ranges from strongly acid to neutral in the Ap horizon, from very strongly acid to moderately acid in the B horizon, and from strongly acid to slightly acid in the C horizon. Kaolinite and illite are the dominant clay minerals.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Fine-earth texture ranges from loam to silty clay loam.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y or N, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 2, with strong brown, yellowish brown, light gray or grayish brown mottles. Texture ranges from loam to silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is fine or medium subangular blocky or blocky.
Some pedons have thin BA and BC horizons.
The C horizon has similar color and texture as the B horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other established series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are nearly level to sloping uplands with slope gradients ranging from 0 to 15 percent. The soils developed in materials weathered largely from gray shale. The climate is humid temperate with mean annual precipitation of 36 to 46 inches, mean annual air temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees F., and a frost free season of 150 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Blairton, Bedington, Berks, Brinkerton, Comly and Weikert soils. Blairton soils do not have dominant low chroma colors immediately below the A horizon. Bedington, Berks and Weikert soils are well drained and do not have low chroma colors. Bedington soils also have less than 35 percent rock fragments. Brinkerton and Comly soils have fragipans. Weikert soils have shale bedrock within 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Medium runoff. Slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Largely cleared and in cropland and pasture. Woodland areas are mixed hardwoods containing many oaks.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Pennsylvania and Maryland. The series is of moderate extent. Pennsylvania has an estimated 15,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 11 inches (Ap horizon).
2. Argillic horizon - the zone from 11 inches to a depth of about 27 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data are available on two pedons sampled in Franklin County, Pennsylvania: S65Pa-28-6 (1-5) and S65Pa-28-8 (1-5).
Classification only was changed in 11/94, competing series and other changes will be made later.