LOCATION NORMANNA           MN
Established Series
Rev. CTS-PCW-AGG
04/2007

NORMANNA SERIES


The Normanna series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in a friable, loamy or silty mantle and the underlying dense loamy till on moraines, till plains and drumlins. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 4.0 degrees C., and the mean annual precipitation is about 750 mm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Oxyaquic Eutrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Normanna loam with a slope of 5 percent on a convex shoulder on a moraine under a stand of quaking aspen, balsam fir and paper birch. Elevation is 427 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 10 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; friable; many fine, medium and coarse roots; about 5 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

E--10 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine brown (7.5YR 4/4) worm casts; about 5 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)

Bw1--15 to 46 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine, medium and coarse roots; about 10 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bw2--46 to 79 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; about 10 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bw3--79 to 114 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and very fine roots; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) Fe concentrations and few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2) Fe depletions; about 10 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 36 to 102 cm)

BC--114 to 122 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak thick platy structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable; few fine and very fine roots; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2) Fe depletions; about 5 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 36 cm thick)

2BCd1--122 to 163 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; moderate very coarse and extremely coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium platy, few 2 to 3 millimeter oblique fractures 15 cm to 1 meter apart; very firm; common fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) Fe concentrations and few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 5/2) Fe depletions; about 18 percent gravel, 3 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

2BCd2--163 to 203 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) gravelly sandy loam; moderate very coarse and extremely coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium platy, few 2 to 3 millimeter oblique fractures 15 cm to 1 meter apart; firm; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) Fe concentrations; about 20 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis, Minnesota; about 7 miles north of Hermantown; 600 feet north and 1,200 feet west of the southeast corner, section 3, T. 51 N., R. 15 W.; Fredenberg Quadrangle, latitude 46 degrees 55 minutes 31.22 seconds N. and longitude 92 degrees 13 minutes 18.49 seconds W., NAD 27.(GPS)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the 2BCd horizon (densic contact) ranges from 76 to 152 cm. The depth to free carbonates is more than 203 cm.

Some pedons have a thin O horizon (duff layer).

The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, fine sandy loam, and very fine sandy loam or silt loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 14 percent with 0 to 12 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones and boulders. It is very strongly acid to moderately acid.

The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent with 0 to 12 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones and boulders. It is very strongly acid to moderately acid.

The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent with 0 to 18 percent gravel, 0 to 7 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones and boulders. It is very strongly acid to moderately acid.

The BC horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content ranges from 8 to 25 percent with 8 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones and boulders. It is moderately acid to neutral. Some pedons have a 2Bw horizon.

The 2BCd horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR and value and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sandy loam or fine sandy loam or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content ranges from 8 to 25 percent with 8 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones and boulders. It is moderately acid to neutral. It typically has 1 to 3 mm oblique fractures 10 cm to 3 meters apart.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Greysolon, Soudan, Wahlsten and Toimi series. Soudan soils formed in dense glacial till that has colors of 2.5Y or 10YR. Greysolon and Wahlsten soils have a lithic contact at depths of 51 to 102 cm. Toimi soils are underlain by very firm dense Rainy Lobe till with colors of 10YR.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have convex slopes with gradients of 0 to 8 percent. They typically are on undulating, moraines or till plains. They formed in a friable loamy and silty mantle and the underlying dense, firm or very firm, loamy Superior Lobe till of the Late Wisconsin Age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 2 to 6 degrees C., mean annual precipitation ranges from 710 to 790 mm. Annual frost free days range from 80 to 140. The elevation above sea level ranges from 200 to 600 meters.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ahmeek, Hermantown, Canosia, Giese, and Twig soils. The well drained Ahmeek soils are usually on more sloping areas. The somewhat poorly drained Hermantown soils are on lower lying or less sloping positions on the landscape. The poorly drained Canosia soils are in low lying positions. The very poorly drained Giese soils are in drainageways and depressions. The Twig soils are in depressions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is medium to rapid. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 4.23 to 42.34 micrometers per second (.6 to 6.0 inches per hour) in the upper mantle and .01 to 0.42 micrometers per second (.0015 to .06 inches per hour) in the densic horizons. Normanna soils have a perched seasonal saturation as high as 46 cm below the surface during spring in normal years.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production, some areas are in pasture. Native vegetation was mixed deciduous-coniferous forest. Major species of trees are quaking aspen, paper birch, balsam fir, red pine and eastern white pine. Some areas are cropped to small grains and hay or is in pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-90 and 93. Northeastern Minnesota. Moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota, 2007

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 15 cm (A and E horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 15 to 114 cm (Bw horizons); Oxyaquic subgroup - based on soil saturation above 102 cm; densic contact at 122 cm. The soils do not have an increase in organic carbon materials in the subsoil and are not believed to be Spodosols.

The designation of the 2BCd horizon is based on fractures and platy structure in the densic material. Clay and silt translocation can be seen between the horizontal plates when broken apart.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record number MN0848 (obsolete).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.