LOCATION MORCOM MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over clayey, mixed over smectitic, superactive, frigid Albaquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Morcom fine sandy loam on a 2 percent slope under forest vegetation on a lake plain. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
E--3 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--8 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; loose; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick.)
2B/E--19 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy clay loam (Bt) 90 percent and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam (E) 10 percent; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions and common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) Fe concentrations; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
3Bt--24 to 28 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common coarse faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions and common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
3Bk--28 to 44 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine prominent; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) Fe concentrations; common light gray (10YR 7/2) soft accumulations of carbonates; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
3C--44 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay with less than 1 mm light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam varves; massive; very firm; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 17 miles southwest of Cook; 1850 feet north and 1500 feet east of the southwest corner of section 3, T. 60 N., R. 21 W.; USGS Dewey Lake NW Quadrangle, latitude 47 degrees 42 minutes 37 seconds N. and longitude 92 degrees 59 minutes 29 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates ranges from 28 to 65 inches. The mantle ranges from 18 to 36 inches in thickness. The mantle has 0 to 5 percent gravel. The underlying material typically does not contain rock fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, fine sand, loamy coarse sand, or coarse sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2B/E or 2Bt horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 35 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral. 2B/E horizons have less than 15 percent E or Bt material. Pedons that do not have a 2B/E horizon have a 2Bt horizon.
Some pedons have an E' horizon.
The 3Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 to 4. It is clay or silty clay. Clay content averages 50 to 80 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The 3Bk and 3C horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is clay or silty clay. Thin varves of very fine sandy loam, silt loam or silty clay loam may occur. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Morcom soils are on convex to linear surfaces of outwash terraces and glacial beaches on lake plains. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. They formed in a mantle of outwash or glacial beach sediments and underlying clayey glacial lake sediments. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 39 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 28 inches and the frost-free period is 90 to 120 days. Elevation above sea level is 1000 to 1600 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alango, Bearville, Indus, Taylor, and Thistledew soils. Somewhat poorly drained Alango soils, poorly drained Indus soils and moderately well drained Taylor soils do not have a lithologic discontinuity. Poorly drained Bearville soils are in concave positions. Moderately well drained Thistledew soils are on higher lying positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is very low to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 42.34 to 141.14 micrometers per second (6 to 20 inches per hour) in the upper mantle and .01 to .42 micrometers per second (.0015 to .06 inches per hour) in the underlying material. Perched saturation is at a depth of 1.0 to 2.0 feet at sometime during April through June and October through November in years of normal preciptiation.
USE AND VEGETATION: Morcom soils are used mainly for pastureland, hayland and woodland. Native vegetation is mixed coniferous and deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-88. North-central Minnesota. Small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota (Virginia subset) 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 8 inches (A and E horizons); Albic horizon - the zone from 3 to 8 inches (E horizon); Argillic horizon - the zone from 19 to 28 inches (2B/E and 3Bt horizons); Aquic subgroup - based upon low chroma Fe depletions in the upper part of the argillic horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record number MN0818.