LOCATION NOONKU                  AK

Established Series
Rev. DKM/JPM/DLM
05/2022

NOONKU SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: very poorly
Parent material: sandy and silty stratified alluvium
Landform: channels and sloughs on flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual temperature: about 26 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: about 12 inches

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid Typic Cryaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Noonku silt loam on a 0 percent slope under shrub birch, sedge and grass vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe--0 to 2 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moderately decomposed decomposed sedge, moss and grass blades; many very fine to medium and common coarse roots; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick).

A--2 to 6 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) silt loam; massive; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick).

Cg1--6 to 20 inches; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) stratified very fine sandy loam and silt loam; massive; friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few coarse prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) redoximorphic concentrations; neutral (pH 6.8); diffuse smooth boundary.

Cg2--20 to 28 inches; greenish gray (5G 5/1) stratified loamy fine sand and very fine sandy loam; massive; very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; neutral (pH 6.8); diffuse smooth boundary.

Cg3--28 to 47 inches; dark gray (N 4/) stratified loamy fine sand and very fine sandy loam; massive; very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/8) redoximorphic concentrations; neutral (pH 6.8); diffuse smooth boundary (the combined thickness of the Cg horizons is 40 to 70 inches thick).

2Cg--47 to 70 inches; gray (N5/) very gravelly loamy sand; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium prominent grayish green (5G 5/2) redoximorphic depletions; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Fairbanks Area, Alaska; NE1/4, SW1/4, section 28, T. 1 S., R. 1 E., Fairbanks Meridian. (description taken from Alaska transect 99DM116, hole 2)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Organic mat thickness: 1 to 5 inches
Particle size control section (weighted average): stratified silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, and very fine sand, greater than 15 percent fine sand or coarser and less than 18 percent clay
Mica content: significant amounts of mica but less than 25 percent
Buried organic layers: may occur at any depth or may be absent
Thin layers of mineral material: coarser than very fine sandy loam may occur at any depth

O horizon:
Hue of 10YR or 7.5YR; value of 2 to 3; and chroma of 1 to 3
Texture: slightly or moderately decomposed plant material
Reaction class: slightly acid or neutral

A horizon:
Hue of 10YR or 7.5Y, value of 2.5 to 4, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or very fine sandy loam
Reaction class: slightly acid or neutral

Cg horizons:
Hue of 2.5Y, 5Y, 5G,or N, and value of 3 to 5
Texture: stratified with textures including very fine sandy loam, silt loam, loamy very fine sand, loamy fine sand and fine sand
Redoximorphic concentrations: hue of 7.5YR, 10YR and 2.5Y; value 3 to 7; chroma 3 to 8
Redoximorphic depletions: hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, N, 5GY, 5G; value 5to7; chroma 1or 2
Reaction class: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

2C horizon (where present):
Hue of 2.5Y, 5Y or N, 5G, 5GYvalue of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 3
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand, or sand modified by 0 to 70 percent coarse fragments
Redoximorphic concentrations: hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y; value 3 to 7; chroma 3 to 8
Redoximorphic depletions: hue of 10YR to 5G; value 5 to 7; chroma 1 or 2
Reaction class: slightly acid or neutral

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aquatna, Beluga, Moose River, and Susivar series in the same family. Aquatna soils do not have O horizons or significant mica content. Beluga soils have massive, firm silty clay loam substratum. The Moose River soils have strata of buried peat throughout the profile. Susivar soils are strongly acid to moderately acid

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: very poorly
Parent material: sandy and silty stratified alluvium
Landform: channels and sloughs on flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Climate: subarctic continental with long, cold winters and short warm summers
Mean annual temperature: 25 to 30 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 14 inches

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Liscum, Mosquito, North Pole, Tanacross, Salchaket, Jarvis, Tanana, Piledriver and Eielson soils. The Salchaket, Jarvis, Piledriver and Eielson soils are on higher adjacent landscapes. Tanana and Tanacross soils are on higher adjacent landscapes with permafrost. Liscum and Mosquito soils have thicker organic horizons at the surface. North Pole soils have brighter colored subsoil

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained, runoff is very slow, saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderate in the control section and rapid in the sandy and gravelly sub soil. This soil is subject to occasional flooding, and ponded floodwaters may persist for several years

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife habitat. The vegetation is primarily alder, willow and birch brush with moss, grass and sedge understory.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 229 Interior Alaska Lowlands. The series is of moderate extent

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Greater Fairbanks area, Alaska, 2002

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Temperature regime: cryic
Redoximorphic concentrations and depletions: throughout the control section; dominant matrix chroma 1
Particle-size control section: less than 18 percent clay and greater than 15 percent fine sand or coarser
Reaction: greater than 5.0 throughout the control section

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.