LOCATION MARMARTH ND+MT SD
Established Series
Rev. CJH
04/2016
MARMARTH SERIES
The Marmarth series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in material weathered from soft sandstone. These soils are moderately deep to soft sandstone. These soils are on sedimentary uplands and have slopes ranging from 0 to 25 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 42 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 13 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Marmarth loam - on a 4 percent north-facing slope in cropland. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common roots; common fine pores; faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--12 to 19 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few roots; common fine pores; faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizons 7 to 18 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 25 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; few medium pores; common masses of carbonate; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--25 to 35 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few pores; few fine masses of carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bk horizons 5 to 19 inches thick)
Cr--35 to 60 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) soft stratified calcareous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Bowman County, North Dakota; about 10 miles south and 1 mile west of Marmarth; 1,155 feet west and 160 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 19, T. 131 N., R. 106 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to soft sandstone from 20 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 16 inches in thickness. Stony phases are recognized.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It typically is loam but is clay loam, silt loam or fine sandy loam in some pedons. It is sandy loam or sandy clay loam in a few pedons. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. It has moderate or strong grades of prismatic and blocky structure.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 dry and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Cr horizon is soft sandstone or stratified soft sandstone and siltstone.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Assinniboine,
Berlake,
Bostwick,
Cheesman,
Crittenden,
Duffson,
Eapa,
Evanot,
Evanston,
Jarre,
Joplin,
Kenilworth,
Kevin,
Perrypark,
Peyton,
Reicess,
Sugakool,
Telstad,
Turret and
Udecide series. Assinniboine, Bostwick, Eapa, Evanot, Evanston, Jarre, Joplin, Kenilworth, Kevin, Perrypark, Peyton, Reicess, Sugakool, Telstad and Turret soils do not have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Berlake soils do not have a Bk horizon within a depth of 40 inches. Cheesman soils have hues redder than 7.5YR and are noncalcareous throughout. Crittenden soils have a lithological discontinuity. Duffson soils have a lithic contact. Udecide soils have more rock fragments in the Bt and Bk horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Marmarth soils are on level to hilly sedimentary uplands. Slopes are plain or convex. Slope gradients range from 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from soft fine grained sandstone. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 16 inches. Most of the moisture falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Boxwell,
Cabbart,
Chinook,
Fleak,
Ralph,
Rhame and
Yawdim soils. All of these soils are on nearby uplands. Boxwell soils do not have an argillic horizon. Cabbart, Fleak and Yawdim soils do not have mollic epipedons and have soft shale or sandstone at shallow depths. Chinook soils are coarse-loamy and do not have argillic horizons. Ralph soils are fine-silty. Rhame soils are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is negligible to medium depending on slope and surface texture. Permeability is moderate. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 4 to more than 6 feet at some time during the period of April through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains or row crops in a crop and summerfallow system. They are also used for hay or pasture. Native vegetation is green needlegrass, needleandthread, western wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, blue grama, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern North Dakota, northwestern South Dakota, and eastern Montana. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bowman County, North Dakota, August 1969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 7 inches (Ap horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 7 to 19 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons); aridic properties - value of more than 4.5 in upper 7 inches (Ap horizon).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.