LOCATION MURKBAY                 AK

Established Series
IRD. DKM/NDP/SCD
05/2022

MURKBAY SERIES

Landscape--shore complexes
Landform--barrier beaches
Slope--0 to 5 percent
Parent material--fluviomarine deposits
Mean annual precipitation--about 1400 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 5 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--udic
Soil temperature regime--cryic
Soil moisture subclass--typic

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed Typic Cryopsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Murkbay loamy sand on an herbaceous barrier beach, on a slope of 1 percent at an elevation of 3 m (When described on August 8, 2013, the soil was moist throughout.)

Oi--0 to 1 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; neutral (pH 7.1); very abrupt smooth boundary

A--1 to 3 cm; loamy sand, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) dry, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist, weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium and many very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent (HCl, 1 normal); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary

C1--3 to 25 cm; sand, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent (HCl, 1 normal); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary

C2--25 to 80 cm; sand, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent (HCl, 1 normal); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary

C3--80 to 125 cm; fine sand and lenses of silt loam, 50 percent light gray (5Y 7/1) dry and gray (5Y 6/1) moist, 50 percent light gray (2.5Y 7/1) dry and gray (5Y 5/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent (HCl, 1 normal); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary

C4--125 to 150 cm; sand, light gray (5Y 7/1) dry, gray (5Y 5/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent (HCl, 1 normal); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1)

TYPE LOCATION: Gustavus Area, Alaska; 3 km southeast of Gustavus; 80 m east and 30 m south of the northwest corner of section 20, T. 40 S., R. 59 E., Copper Meridian; Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska; latitude 58.39537, longitude -135.70667, datum WGS84 (coordinates estimated from PLSS details in a GIS)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--1 to 7 degrees C
Soil moisture control section--dry less than 45 consecutive days in June through October (udic)
Rock fragment content--gravel in lower part (below particle-size control section) in some pedons
Other features--free carbonates

Particle-size control section
*Clay content--0 to 3 percent
*Sand content--90 to 100 percent

Oi horizon (where present)
Thickness--0 to 2 cm

A horizon (where present)
Hue--10YR to 5Y moist or dry
Value--2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma--1 to 3 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--loamy sand, sand
Content of clay--0 to 3 percent
Reaction (pH)--7.3 to 8.0
Effervescence--noneffervescent to slightly effervescent
Thickness--0 to 6 cm

C1 and C2 horizons
Hue--2.5Y, 5Y, or variegated moist or dry
Value--4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma--1 to 4 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--loamy fine sand, sand, coarse sand
Content of clay--0 to 3 percent
Reaction (pH)--8.0 to 8.2
Effervescence--noneffervescent to slightly effervescent
Combined thickness--30 to 60 cm

C3 and C4 horizons
Hue--2.5Y, 5Y, or variegated moist or dry
Value--4 to 6 moist, 6 to 8 dry
Chroma--1 to 3 moist or dry
Fine-earth texture--fine sand, sand, coarse sand; stratified lenses of silt loam in some pedons
Content of clay--0 to 2 percent
Reaction (pH)--7.1 to 8.5
Effervescence--very slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent
Total rock fragment content--0 to 55 percent below particle-size control section
Combined thickness--40 to 80 cm

COMPETING SERIES:
Beardslee, Kunayosh--no free carbonates; O horizon composed of forest litter
Lukanin--no free carbonates; pH of 6.1 to 7.3 in particle-size control section
Mysten--noncalcareous throughout particle-size control section
Skagway--O horizon composed of forest litter; 25 to 50 cm (somewhat poorly drained) to saturation and aquic conditions
Teklanika--O horizon composed of forest litter; pH of 5.6 to 6.5 in particle-size control section
Witefels--50 to 100 cm (moderately deep) to a paralithic contact
Woodtick--elevation of more than 2000 m; ustic soil moisture regime

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--0 to 20 m
Climate--cool, moist summers; mild, wet winters
Mean annual precipitation--850 to 1850 mm
Mean annual air temperature--0 to 9 degrees C
Frost-free period--90 to 154 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Annoksek--25 to 50 cm (shallow) to a lithic contact; on adjacent glaciated plains
Beartrack--saturation and aquic conditions at or near soil surface; on similar landforms
Bulky--saturation and aquic conditions within 25 cm of soil surface; in concave areas of adjacent landforms
Fingerock--50 to 100 cm (moderately well drained) to aquic conditions; on similar landforms
Kashoto--organic (muck); in depressions of adjacent glaciated plains
Monashka--saturation and aquic conditions within 25 cm of soil surface; on similar landforms
Sitakaday--25 to 50 cm (somewhat poorly drained) to aquic conditions; on adjacent landforms influenced by tides
Strawberry--50 to 100 cm (moderately well drained) to aquic conditions; on similar landforms

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--high or very high throughout

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat, recreation, subsistence
Potential natural vegetation--common yarrow, seacoast angelica, silverweed cinquefoil, Lyngbye's sedge, red fescue, common cowparsnip, American dunegrass, Nootka lupine, marsh grass of Parnassus, goose tongue, Schreber's big red stem moss, little yellow rattle, goose neck moss, Barclay's willow, undergreen willow

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alexander Archipelago-Gulf of Alaska Coast, Alaska; MLRA 220; moderate extent

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve-Gustavus Area, Alaska; 2020.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon
*Ochric epipedon
*Free carbonates--zone from 1 to 150 cm
*Particle-size control section--zone from 26 to 101 cm

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.