LOCATION MORTIMER OH
Established Series
Rev. KEM-RMG-RAR
11/2021
MORTIMER SERIES
The Mortimer series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that are deep to dense till. They formed in fine-textured till on till plains and moraines of Wisconsin age. Slope ranges from 2 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 914 mm (36 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C (51 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, illitic, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Mortimer silt loam, on an east-facing, convex, 4 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 241 meters (790 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; common faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron and manganese oxide concretions in the matrix; 1 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. [15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]
Bt1--20 to 33 cm (8 to 13 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; common faint brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds; few medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on vertical faces of peds and in pores; common fine distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron and manganese oxide concretions in the matrix; 1 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--33 to 46 cm (13 to 18 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common fine roots; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) and few distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; few medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common fine distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron and manganese oxide concretions in the matrix; 1 percent rock fragments; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common fine roots; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) and few distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; few medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common fine distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron and manganese oxide concretions in the matrix; 1 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt4--56 to 71 cm (22 to 28 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; few fine roots; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of calcium carbonate accumulation on faces of peds; 1 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bt5--71 to 99 cm (28 to 39 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; firm; few fine roots; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of calcium carbonate accumulation on faces of peds; 1 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 51 to 89 cm (20 to 35 inches).]
BC--99 to 124 cm (39 to 49 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coatings on faces of peds; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of calcium carbonate accumulation on faces of peds; 2 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual irregular boundary. [13 to 38 cm (5 to 15 inches) thick]
Cd--124 to 203 cm (49 to 80 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; massive, with widely spaced vertical fractures; very firm; few distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coatings on faces of fractures; few medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions along fractures; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation along fractures; common fine distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moderately cemented iron and manganese oxide concretions in the matrix; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of calcium carbonate accumulation along vertical fractures; 2 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Hancock County, Ohio; approximately 3 miles south of McComb, in Blanchard Township; about 2,460 feet west and 1,165 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 12, T. 1 N., R. 9 E.; USGS McComb, Ohio topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 03 minutes 49 seconds N. and long. 83 degrees 46 minutes 23 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 66 to 140 cm (26 to 55 inches)
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 66 to 114 cm (26 to 45 inches)
Depth to densic contact: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Depth to carbonates: typically 43 to 89 cm (17 to 35 inches), but is as shallow as 25 cm (10 inches) in eroded pedons
Rock fragments: primarily limestone, dolostone, shale, and crystalline glacial erratics
Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 (6 or more dry)
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam, but includes clay loam in eroded pedons
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
Bt or Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: predominantly silty clay or clay with clay content ranging from 40 to 60 percent; some pedons have a thin horizon of silty clay loam in the upper part
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral in the upper part and neutral or slightly alkaline in the lower part
BC, BCg, Cd, or Cdg horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: silty clay or clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 7 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Cardington,
Ellsworth,
Geeburg,
Glynwood,
Pert,
Shinrock, and
Wyatt series. Cardington soils have rock fragments of dominantly sandstone and shale. Ellsworth soils have less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the lower part of the series control section. Geeburg soils do not have a densic contact in the lower part of the series control section. Glynwood soils have less than 40 percent clay in the lower part of the series control section. Pert soils have sola thinner than 66 cm (26 inches). Shinrock and Wyatt soils do not have rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Mortimer soils are on moraines and till plains of late Wisconsin age. Slope ranges from 2 to 6 percent. They formed in fine-textured, calcareous till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 686 to 1067 mm (27 to 42 inches). Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 13 degrees C (45 to 55 degrees F). Frost-free period is 140 to 165 days. Elevation is 213 to 274 meters (700 to 900 feet) above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Nappanee and
St. Clair soils that form a drainage sequence with the Mortimer soils. The somewhat poorly drained Nappanee soils are on slight rises and low knolls. The well drained St. Clair soils are on higher or more sloping landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. The depth to the top of an intermittent perched high water table ranges from 30 to 61 cm (1 to 2 feet) between December and April in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is high or very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low in the solum and low in the dense till. Permeability is slow in the solum and slow or very slow in the dense till.
USE AND VEGETATION: A large proportion is under cultivation, primarily corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. A relatively small proportion is in woodland. Native vegetation is deciduous forest, principally ash, beech, elm, hickory, oak, and maple.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Ohio, and possibly northeastern Indiana and southern Michigan; MLRA 111B. The series is of small extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hancock County, Ohio, 1997.
REMARKS: Mortimer soils are currently being converted from Blount, Morley, Nappanee, and St. Clair soils during modernization projects in MLRA 111B.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 20 cm (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 99 cm (Bt horizon).
Densic contact: at 124 cm (top of the Cd horizon).
Aquic conditions: redox features visible in all horizons below a depth of 20 cm.
Supporting laboratory data is needed to confirm the presence and depth of densic materials in the Cd horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory characterization data (HK-47) from The Ohio State University Soil Characterization Laboratory is available for the typical pedon.
Representative data mapunit is DMU ID 130021 in MO 11.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.