LOCATION MOON IN

Established Series
Rev. RAB-GFF-DAG
11/2021

MOON SERIES

The Moon series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in wind or water laid sandy material and the underlying till on moraines and till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 889 mm (35 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, mesic Arenic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Moon loamy sand, on a 3 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 223 meters (731 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; many medium and common fine and very fine roots throughout; 5 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]

E1--23 to 43 cm (9 to 17 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium roots throughout; 9 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

E2--43 to 58 cm (17 to 23 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium roots throughout; common medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 12 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the E horizon is 28 to 86 cm (11 to 34 inches).]

2Bt1--58 to 79 cm (23 to 31 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium roots between peds; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 14 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

2Bt2--79 to 89 cm (31 to 35 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium roots between peds; many distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few prominent black (N 2.5/) iron-manganese masses; common fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 6 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

2Bt3--89 to 114 cm (35 to 45 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few medium roots between peds; many distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 6 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 inches).]

2BCtk--114 to 145 cm (45 to 57 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; few medium roots between peds; common faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; light gray (10YR 7/2) carbonate masses on vertical faces of peds; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; many medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 7 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 36 cm (14 inches) thick]

2C--145 to 203 cm (57 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; massive; firm; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 8 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Pulaski County, Indiana; about 4.5 miles south of Monterey; 1,912 feet east and 1,595 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 36, T. 31 N., R. 1 W.; USGS Kewanna, IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 5 minutes 39.4 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 28 minutes 41.3 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 543826 easting and 4549360 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Depth to redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less: 76 to 102 cm (30 to 40 inches)
Thickness of the sandy material: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, or fine sand
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand, or sand
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

2Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Redoximorphic features: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Clay content: 15 to 34 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

2BCtk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Redoximorphic features: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 to 8
Redoximorphic features: hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 2 to 8
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Seward series. Seward soils have a densic contact within the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moon soils are on moraines and till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Moon soils formed in 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches) of wind or water laid sandy material and the underlying loamy till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 762 to 1067 mm (30 to 42 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 8.9 to 11.7 degrees C (48 to 53 degrees F). Frost-free period is 150 to 180 days. Elevation is 183 to 466 meters (600 to 1,530 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aubbeenaubbee, Barry, Brookston, Chelsea, Crosier, Markton, Metea, Miami, Owosso, Plainfield, Rensselaer, Riddles, Selfridge, Spinks, and Wawasee soils. The somewhat poorly drained Aubbeenaubbee, Crosier, Markton, and Selfridge soils are on footslopes of glaciated uplands. The poorly drained Barry and Brookston soils and the poorly drained or very poorly drained Rensselaer soils are in depressions of glaciated uplands. The excessively drained Chelsea and Plainfield soils, and the well drained Spinks soils are on summits and backslopes of glaciated uplands and are sandier in the lower part of the series control section. The well drained Metea, Owosso, Riddles, and Wawasee soils, and the moderately well drained Miami soils are on summits and backslopes of glaciated uplands.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 46 to 107 cm (1.5 to 3.5 feet) between December and April in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the upper sandy material and moderately high in the underlying loamy till. Permeability is rapid in the upper sandy material and moderate or moderately slow in the underlying loamy till.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used for growing corn, hay, soybeans, and wheat. A few small areas are forested or used for pasture. Native vegetation is deciduous forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 98 and 111C in northern Indiana. The series is of small extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pulaski County, Indiana, 2001.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 58 cm (23 inches) (Ap, E1, E2).
Eluvial horizon: from a depth of 23 to 58 cm (9 to 23 inches) (E1, E2).
Argillic horizon: from 58 to 144 cm (23 to 45 inches) (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3) .
Redoximorphic features: redox concentrations below depth of 43 cm (17 inches) and redox depletions below depth of 79 cm (31 inches).

NASIS Data Mapunit ID 155031 represents the typical pedon in complex with Metea soils in northern Indiana.
NASIS Data Mapunit ID 401788 represents Moon soils in complex with Williamstown soils in northern Indiana.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data is available for the typical pedon (S98IN-131-012) from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE. Transect data (T98IN-131-096) for the typical pedon is on file in the MLRA project office, Plymouth, Indiana. Transect shows 80 percent Moon and similar soils and 20 percent Metea and similar soils.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.