LOCATION MURAD SCEstablished Series
The Murad series consists of very deep, moderately well to somewhat poorly drained loamy soils that formed in marine sediments below about 40 feet in elevation. The water table is within 18 to 36 inches of the surface for as much as 3 months in most years. Slopes are less than 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Grossarenic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Murad fine sand--pasture.
(Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; common medium roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
E1--8 to 21 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) fine sand; common fine faint light gray mottles; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine and medium roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 32 inches thick)
E2--21 to 39 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand; common medium faint very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and few medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles; weak medium granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 37 inches thick)
E3--39 to 49 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles; weak medium granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; few fine and medium firm nodules with reddish brown centers; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)
BE--49 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) fine sandy loam; many medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6), and common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 17 inches thick)
Bt--60 to 67 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) fine sandy loam; many medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2), common medium distinct red (2.5YR 4/8), and common medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint clay films on faces of some peds; few fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg--67 to 80 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) sandy clay loam; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common medium distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint clay films on faces of some peds; few fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 6 to more than 36 inches)
C--80 to 85 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) loamy fine sand; common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; massive; very friable; few fine flakes of mica; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Beaufort County, South Carolina; 1.75 miles south-southwest of Sheldon, 2.5 miles south of junction of U. S. Highway 17 and secondary State Highway 19, 3,500 feet east of secondary State Highway 19 on unimproved plantation road, 600 feet north of road. Elevation is about 24 feet.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 60 to more than 85 inches. The soil is strongly acid to slightly acid in the A, E and upper part of the B horizons, and very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout the rest of the profile. Some pedons have few to common nodules, 0.2 to 2.0 cm in diameter commonly at depths of about 40 inches. The mineralogy of the clay fraction is mixed.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 3. Where the value is less than 3.5, the horizon is less than 6 inches thick. The A horizon is fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 8. Mottles in shades of gray, yellow, or brown are in some pedons. The E horizon is fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand.
The upper part of the Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 8. Mottles in shades of gray, yellow, brown, or, red are in most pedons. The upper part of the Bt horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. The lower part of the Bt horizon in some pedons has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. Mottles in shades of red, brown, yellow, or gray are in the lower part of the Bt horizon of most pedons. The lower part of the Bt horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy clay.
The Btg horizon, where present, commonly has hue of 10YR to 5Y, or it is neutral, value of 6 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. Mottles in shades of red, brown, yellow, or gray are in most pedons. The Btg horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy clay.
The C horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, or it is neutral, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 6. It is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, or fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Albany, Blanton, Darco, Eddings, Shankler, Tehran and Troup series. Albany soils have clay mineralogy dominated by kaolinite. Blanton, Darco, Eddings, Shankler, and Troup soils do not have gray mottles in the Bt horizon. Tehran soils do not have gray mottles in the upper part of the Bt horizon or above a depth of 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Murad soils are on smooth nearly level convex marine terraces below about 40 feet in elevation. Slope gradients are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in sandy and loamy sediments largely of marine origin. The mean annual temperature ranges from 62 to 66 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 42 to 50 inches, and frost-free season ranges from about 220 to 270 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Eddings series and the Chipley, Chisolm, Coosaw, Hobcaw, Lakeland, Ogeechee, Williman, Yauhannah, and Yemassee series. Eddings soils are on higher landscapes and are well drained. Chipley soils are on adjacent landscapes and are sandy throughout. Chisolm soils are on higher adjacent landscapes and have an arenic surface. Coosaw soils are on adjacent landscapes and have an arenic surface. Hobcaw soils are on lower landscapes and are very poorly drained. Lakeland soils are on higher nearby landscapes and are sandy throughout. Ogeechee and Williman soils are on adjacent landscapes and are poorly drained. Yauhannah and Yemassee soils are on nearby landscapes and have an argillic horizon within 20 inches of the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well and somewhat poorly drained. Seasonal high water table is within 18 to 36 inches of the surface for as much as 3 months yearly. Permeability is rapid in the sandy horizons and moderate in the argillic horizon. Runoff is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas are cleared and used for corn, soybeans, small grain, truck crops, and pasture grasses. Forested areas are mixed pine and hardwood. Tree species include loblolly, slash, and longleaf pine; white, red, turkey, and post oak; dogwood, and hickory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Coastal Plain of South Carolina. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beaufort County, South Carolina; 1975.
REMARKS: Murad soils formerly were included in the Albany series. The May 1980 revision changed the classification from mixed to siliceous and limits the series to soils with mixed clay mineralogy and elevations below about 40 feet. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon and grossarenic feature- the zone from the surface of the soil to 49 inches (A, E1, E2 and E3 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 60 to 80 inches (Bt and Btg horizons)
MLRA = 153A, 153B
SIR = SC0042
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
SC0042 MURAD 0- 2 62- 66 220-270 42- 50 5- 40
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
SC0042 NONE 1.5-3.0 APPARENT JAN-MAR 60-60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
SC0042 0-49 FS LS LFS 0- 0 98-100 2-12 1- 4
SC0042 49-60 SL FSL SCL 0- 0 98-100 10-25 1- 6
SC0042 60-80 FSL SCL SC 0- 0 98-100 18-40 1- 8
SC0042 80-85 LFS LS FSL 0- 0 98-100 5-20 1- 3
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
SC0042 0-49 4.5- 6.5 .5-2. 0- 0 6.0- 20 LOW
SC0042 49-60 4.5- 6.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW
SC0042 60-80 4.5- 5.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW
SC0042 80-85 4.5- 5.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW