LOCATION MOUNT LUCAS PA+NJ VA MDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Mount Lucas silt loam, 0 to 8 percent slopes, extremely stony; in a woodland. (Colors are for moist interior soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) slightly decomposed plant material.
A--1 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam; moderate medium granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to coarse and common very coarse roots throughout; common medium pores; 9 percent subrounded gravel; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick).
E-- 4 to 10 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky parting to moderate medium granular structure; very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many fine, common medium and coarse roots throughout; common medium pores; 3 percent subangular channers and 6 percent subrounded gravel; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick).
BE-- 10 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots throughout; few medium pores; very few clay films on all faces of peds; 2 percent subangular channers ; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1-- 18 to 31 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots throughout; few medium pores; few clay films on all faces of peds; 1 percent medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8), masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds and 2 percent medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2), iron depletions on faces of peds; 2 percent subrounded gravel and 5 percent subangular channers; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2-- 31 to 46 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) cobbly clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common medium and coarse roots throughout; few clay films on all faces of peds; 3 percent coarse distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8), masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds and 15 percent coarse distinct pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2), iron depletions on faces of peds; 5 percent subrounded gravel and 10 percent subrounded cobbles; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 9 to 33 inches thick)
2Bt-- 46 to 61inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and very cobbly loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few medium roots throughout; very few, clay films on vertical faces of peds; 8 percent coarse black (5YR 2.5/1), manganese coatings in matrix 1 percent medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2), iron depletion on vertical faces of peds; 5 percent subrounded gravel and 35 percent subrounded cobbles ; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick).
2C--61 to 73 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gravelly loam; moderate coarse platy structure; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; 1 percent distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds; 10 percent coarse black (5YR 2.5/1); manganese coatings in matrix; 1 percent medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2), iron depletions on vertical faces of peds; 5 percent subangular channers and 25 percent subrounded gravel; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; Marlborough Twp, 2300 feet North of the intersection of Payne Rd. and Swamp Creek Rd on the Swamp Creek Road, 60 feet West of Swamp Creek Road in the woods. Perkiomenville Quad; Latitude 40 degree 20 minutes 55.8 seconds North; Longitude 75 degree 26 minutes 08.9 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 65 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 48 inches. Angular rock fragments of diabase and some quartzite and other rocks range from 0 to 50percent and from 5 to 60 percent in the C horizon. The rock fragment content in the particle control section averages less than 35 %. The upper part of the solum ranges from strongly to slightly acid and the lower part from moderately acid to neutral. The dominant clay mineral is kaolinite with appreciable amounts of illite and montmorillonite.
The A (and where present Ap) horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is silt loam or loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 through 8. Textures are silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, loam, and sandy clay loam in the fine-earth fraction and averages 18 to 32 percent clay. It has prismatic or subangular blocky structure.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 through 6. Textures are silt loam, loam, clay loam, sandy loam and loamy sand in the fine-earth fraction. Depth to loamy sand is greater than 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: The Lehigh and Passport series are in the same family Lehigh soils have rock fragments dominated by porcelanite in the lower part of the solum. The Passport series is somewhat poorly drained and sometimes can be very deep and has depths to the base of the argillic ranging from 40 to 80 inches. Passport series also has a strongly developed paleosol buried in the underlying till.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mount Lucas soils are nearly level upland flats to steep concave lower slopes. They developed in materials weathered from diabase and other dark colored basic rocks. The climate is humid temperate with mean annual precipitation of 38 to 46 inches, mean annual temperature of 50 to 55 degrees F., and a frost-free season of 170 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Aldino, Brecknock, Calvert, Chrome, Legore, Montalto, Neshaminy, Towhee and Watchung soils. Aldino, Calvert and Towhee soils have fragipans. Brecknock, Chrome, Legore, Montalto and Neshaminy soils are well drained. Watchung soils contain more clay and are gleyed immediately below the Ap horizon.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well and somewhat poorly drained with medium runoff; Saturated hydraulic conductivity is low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Approximately 50 percent cleared and in general farm crops. Woodland areas are oak-hickory type mixed hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mercer County, (Stony Brook Watershed), New Jersey, 1951.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1.Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 18 inches (Ap, E, and BE horizons).
2. Argillic horizon - the zone from 18 inches to a depth of about 61 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
2006: New type location and Pedon Description
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data available on 2 pedons, S61PA-1-16 and S61PA-1-17, sampled in Adams County, Pennsylvania.