LOCATION NOONAN ND+MT SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Natrustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Noonan loam - on a north-facing plane 1 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. Where described the soil was dry to 20 inches and moist below 20 inches.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many fine pores; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Btn1--6 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong coarse and medium columnar structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; tops of columns capped with gray (10YR 6/1) loam; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many distinct very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; about 2 percent gravel; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Btn2--9 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few pores; faces of peds coated with brown (10YR 4/3) moist clay films; about 2 percent gravel; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Btn horizons 3 to 20 inches thick)
Bk--12 to 20 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky, hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; few medium masses of carbonates; few fine nests of gypsum in the lower part; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bky--20 to 28 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; about 2 percent gravel; few fine nests of gypsum; common fine masses of carbonate; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual boundary. (Combined Bk horizons 4 to 52 inches thick)
BCy--28 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; about 2 percent gravel; common medium nests of gypsum; slight effervescence; strongly alkaline. (0 to 40 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Divide County, North Dakota; about 3 miles east of Crosby; 1850 feet south and 110 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 35, T. 163 N., R. 97 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Rock fragments comprise 1 to 8 percent of the soil. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 22 inches. The depth to carbonates ranges from 8 to 30 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam or clay loam. It is moderately acid to neutral.
Some pedons have an E horizon l/2 to 6 inches thick. It has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, silt loam or very fine sandy loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Btn horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6 and 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It typically is clay loam, but, silty clay or clay are within the range. It has more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser sand. It is neutral to strongly alkaline. It has moderate or strong columnar or prismatic structure which parts to moderate or strong angular or subangular blocky structure. Some pedons have a Btnz horizon below a depth of 16 inches. Some pedons have a Bw or Btkn horizon below the Btn horizon.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Some pedons have a Bz horizon below a depth of 16 inches. Some pedons have BC or BCky horizons.
Some pedons have a C horizon. It has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Relict redoximorphic features, inherent in the till, is in some pedons at depths below 30 inches. Some pedons have residual beds below a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Janesburg series. Janesburg soils formed in residium and are moderately deep to shale beds.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Noonan soils are on level to rolling till plains. Slope gradients commonly are less than 3 percent, but range from 0 to 15 percent. Noonan soils formed in loam or clay loam till. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 34 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 12 to 19 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bowbells, Max, Niobell, Miranda, Tonka and Williams soils. Bowbells, Max and Williams soils are on higher lying or more rolling areas. They do not have natric horizons. Miranda and Niobell soils are on nearby areas. Niobell soils have tonguing or interfingering of the E horizon into the Bt horizon. Miranda soils have visible salts or gypsum within depths of 16 inches. Tonka soils are in depressions. They are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained or moderately well drained. Runoff ranges from negligible to medium depending on slope. Permeability is moderate on the surface and slow in the Btn horizon. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 3.5 to 5.0 feet at some time during the period of April through June in the moderately well drained phase. It is at a depth of 4 to more than 6 feet for the same period in the well drained phase.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for spring seeded small grains and pasture. Native vegetation includes western wheatgrass and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central and northwestern North Dakota and north-central South Dakota. The soil is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Burleigh County, North Dakota, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 12 inches (Ap, Btn1 and Btn2 horizons); natric horizon - the zone from 6 to 12 inches (Btn1 and Btn2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory samples ND48-P-3, ND48-P-10, ND48-7-4, S58ND-7-5, S58ND-51-2, and S49ND-7-l.