LOCATION MELIA                   NE+IA

Established Series
NAD, PTC, DJP
10/2019

MELIA SERIES

The Melia series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess. These soils are on broad, stable interfluves on uplands and on treads on loess covered stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is about 710 millimeters at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Melia silt loam, on a linear slope of about 1 percent, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of 400 meters above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 19 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) crushed silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) crushed, dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots between peds; few fine dendritic tubular pores; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; neutral, pH 7.3, pH meter 1:1 water; Ap horizon has some compaction causing the structure to be weak medium subangular blocky.

A1--19 to 47 centimeters (7 to 18 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) crushed silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed, dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular pores; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; neutral, pH 6.9, pH meter 1:1 water; clear wavy boundary.

A2--47 to 82 centimeters (18 to 32 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) crushed silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed, dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots throughout; few medium dendritic tubular pores; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; neutral, pH 7.2, pH meter 1:1 water; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizons is 50 to 110 centimeters].

AB--82 to 100 centimeters (32 to 39 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) crushed silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) crushed, dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots throughout; common medium dendritic tubular and common very fine dendritic tubular pores; 15 percent faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), moist, organic stains on vertical faces of peds; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; neutral, pH 7.2, pH meter 1:1 water; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 20 centimeters thick].

Bw1--100 to 139 centimeters (39 to 55 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) interior silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) interior, dry; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots throughout; many very fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), moist, organic stains on vertical faces of peds and 10 percent distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), moist, silt coats on vertical faces of peds; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline, pH 7.4, pH meter 1:1 water.

Bw2--139 to 163 centimeters (55 to 64 inches); 60 percent brown (10YR 4/3) interior and 40 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) exterior silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) interior, dry; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), moist, organic stains on vertical faces of peds; 1 percent fine prominent irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, iron-manganese masses with clear boundaries on surfaces along pores; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5, pH meter 1:1 water;

Bw3--163 to 194 centimeters (64 to 76 inches); 70 percent brown (10YR 4/3) interior and 30 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) exterior silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) interior, dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots throughout; few medium dendritic tubular and many very fine dendritic tubular pores; 1 percent fine distinct irregular grayish brown (10YR 5/2), moist, iron depletions with clear boundaries on surfaces along pores and 1 percent fine distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, iron- manganese masses with clear boundaries on surfaces along pores; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6, pH meter 1:1 water; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 51 to 122 centimeters].

C--194 to 241 centimeters (76 to 95 inches); 80 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) interior and 20 percent brown (10YR 4/3) exterior silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) interior, dry; massive; very friable; few fine roots throughout; many fine dendritic tubular and many very fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent medium distinct irregular light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist, iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 25 percent medium prominent irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, iron-manganese masses with clear boundaries in matrix; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6, pH meter 1:1 water.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 107B - Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills; Sarpy County subset; about 1.5 miles north of Melia; about 1,255 feet south and 1490 feet west of the northeast corner of section 10, T. 13 N., R. 10 E.; USGS Ashland East, Nebraska quadrangle; UTM Easting: 728540.3 meters, UTM Northing: 4555029.6 meters, UTM Zone:14; lat. 41.114417 degrees and long. -96.278000 degrees; WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon--50 centimeters or more
Depth to relict redoximorphic features--greater than 76 centimeters
Depth to carbonates--greater than 125 centimeters
Organic carbon content--regular decrease with increasing depth, not exceeding 0.3 percent at 125 centimeters
Clay content in the particle-size control section (weighted average) -- 20 to 35 percent
Sand content in the particle-size control section (weighted average) -- less than 10 percent, dominantly very fine sand

Ap or A horizon:
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2, 2 if value of 3
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--20 to 35 percent
Sand content--less than 10 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral (pH 5.6 to 7.3)

AB or BA horizon:
Value--3 or 4
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--20 to 35 percent
Sand content--less than 10 percent
Reaction--moderately acid or neutral (pH 5.6 TO 7.3)

Bw horizon:
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--20 to 35 percent
Sand content--less than 10 percent
Reaction--moderately acid or slightly alkaline (pH 5.6 to 7.8)

Some pedons have clay films and/or silt coats on vertical faces of peds, but the B/A clay ratio is about 1:1, not meeting the criteria of argillic horizons.

BC (where present) or C horizon:
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--2 to 6
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent
Sand content--less than 10 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline (pH 6.1 to 7.8)

COMPETING SERIES: These are no other series in this taxonomic family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--loess
Landscape--uplands
Landform--stream terraces
Geomorphic component--broad interfluves and treads
Slopes--0 to 5 percent
Elevation--243 to 457 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--9 to 13 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation--660 to 840 millimeters
Frost-free period--155 to 175 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Judson, Marshall, Monona, Ponca, and Pohocco soils.
Judson--are lower on the landscape, are on foot slopes, and have a mollic epipedon with an irregular decrease in organic carbon.
Marshall--are on similar or higher landscape positions, are on side slopes, and have a mollic epipedon less than 50 centimeters thick.
Monona--are on similar or higher landscape positions, are on side slopes, and have a mollic epipedon less than 50 centimeters thick.
Ponca--are on higher or lower landscape positions, are on side slopes and risers, and lack a mollic epipedon.
Pohocco--are on higher or lower landscape positions, are on side slopes and risers, lack a mollic epipedon and have carbonates between 30 to 100 centimeters.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage--water saturation does not occur within a depth of 180 centimeters during the wettest periods of normal years
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--1.00 to 10.00 micrometers per second

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, soybeans, small grain, clover, and alfalfa. The native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass, and other grasses of the tall grass prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section(s)--Western Lake Section, Dissected till plains
Land Resource Region--Central Feed Grain and Livestock Region (LRR M)
MLRA--Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills (107B)
Extent--small; about 6,000 acres are correlated.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sarpy County subset, Nebraska, 2007.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section -- 25 to 100 centimeters (A1, A2, and AB horizons)
Series control section 0 to 194 centimeters (Ap, A1, A2, AB, Bw1, Bw2, Bw3 horizons)
Soil moisture control section -- 10 to 30 centimeters

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
--Mollic epipedon 0 to 100 centimeters (Ap, A1, A2, and AB horizons)
--Cambic horizon -- 100 to 194 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons);
--Udic soil moisture regime.
--Mesic soil temperature regime.

Selected physical and chemical properties are supported by User Pedon ID S2004NE153033.

These soils were formerly mapped as bench phases of Monona and Marshall soils; and as inclusions in Marshall mapunits on broad upland summits or interfluves.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska User Pedon ID S2004NE153033 (https://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.