LOCATION MORSET CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Calcic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Morset loam - grassland, at about 8,365 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 4 inches, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
BA--4 to 7 inches, brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; primary peds are hard, firm; few thin glossy patches on faces of peds and in root channels and pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to medium subangular blocks; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are very hard, firm; continuous wax-like coatings on faces of peds, root channels, and pores; few wax-like rims around the entrance to pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 38 inches thick)
Bk1--15 to 18 inches, pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are very hard, firm; few wax-like patches on faces of peds and in root channels and pores; 5 percent gravel; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring mostly as concretions and in thin seams and streaks; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bk2--18 to 33 inches, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 10 percent gravel; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring mostly as finely divided marl-like forms permeating the entire horizon; calcium carbonate equivalent approximately 30 percent; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); diffuse wavy boundary. (6 to 24 inches thick)
Bk3--33 to 60 inches, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 10 percent gravel; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring mostly as concretions and as coatings on the gravel fragments; much less calcium carbonate than in the horizon above; effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Colorado; about 7 miles east of Walden; approximately 500 feet east and 200 feet south of the W1/4 corner of Sec. 22, T. 9 N., R. 78 W; Gould NW USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 44 minutes 01 seconds N. and long. 106 degrees 08 minutes 37 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: ustic regime.
Mean annual soil temperature is 40 to 43 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature is about 56 degrees F.
Depth to uniformly calcareous material: 5 to 30 inches.
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 15 to 50 inches.
Depth to continuous subhorizons of visible secondary calcium carbonate and/or sulfate: 10 to 50 inches.
Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent by volume in a major part of the solum and C horizon above a depth of 50 inches and are mainly 1/4 to 10 inches in diameter.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR through 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR through 2.5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 1 through 6
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline
Texture: loam or light clay loam, and less commonly sandy clay loam
Clay content(weighted average): 18 to 35 percent
Silt content (weighted average): 20 to 60 percent
Sand content (weighted average): 15 to 60 percent, less than 45 percent fine or coarser sand
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR through 2.5Y; subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons
Texture: loam or clay loam, and less commonly sandy clay loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 30 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 50 percent in some part of the horizon
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Accola,
Madigan,
Michelson, Oro_fino, and
Philipsburg series.
Accola soils have an O horizon, and have rock fragments dominantly of limestone, which are presumed angular (colluvium).
Madigan soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
Michelson soils have a buried argillic horizon below 40 inches.
Oro fino soils have a discontinuity with sandy-skeletal material.
Philipsburg soils are not clearly separated; they appear to be moist in the moisture control section for longer periods because of their 14 to 24 inches of precipitation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Morset soils are on fan remnants, high terraces, plateaus, and outwash terraces. Slopes range from about 2 to 25 percent. These soils formed in thick, calcareous, medium to moderately fine textured, alluvium or outwash derived from sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Elevation is 8,200 to 8,800 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 to 18 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and summer. The mean annual temperature is 37 to 45 degrees F, and the mean summer temperature is 55 degrees F. Warmer annual temperatures occur in southern latitudes in the state.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Forelle and Leavitt soils. Forelle soils have an ochric epipedon and lack a calcic horizon. Leavitt soils lack a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for grazing or for irrigated hay meadows. Native vegetation is big sagebrush, pine needlegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, sheep fescue, muttongrass, and junegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High mountain valleys of Colorado and Wyoming. MLRA 48B, 48A. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County, Colorado, 1973.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 7 inches (A, BA horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 7 to 15 inches (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 18 to 33 inches (Bk2 horizon)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 7 to 15 inches (entire argillic horizon)
Series control section - The zone from 0 to 60 inches.
The 03/2007 revision changes the classification from Ustic Argicryolls to Calcic Argicryolls. When established the Morset series was classified as fine-loamy, mixed Argic Cryoborolls.
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.