LOCATION NUNAVIK AK
Established Series
KKB/CBB
11/2024
NUNAVIK SERIES
Depth class: very deep (shallow to permafrost)
Drainage class: poorly drained
Parent material: loess
Landscape: coastal plains
Landform: loess covered plains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 350 mm (13.78 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -3 degrees C. (27 degrees F.)
Frost-free period: 75 to 90 days
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, nonacid, subgelic Typic Aquorthels
TYPICAL PEDON: Nunavik silt loam in tussock tundra community on a linear, convex toeslope on a slope of 0 percent at an elevation of 28 m (90 ft)
Oe--0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in); mucky peat, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) broken face moist, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) broken face dry; common fine and medium roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 19 cm, 2 to 7 in thick)
Cg--10 to 41 cm (4 to 16 in); silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) broken face moist, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) broken face dry; massive; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; nonfluid; common very fine roots throughout; very fine and fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine, prominent, irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron throughout and 3 percent fine, faint, irregular dark gray (2.5Y 4/1), moist, iron depletions throughout; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 45 cm, 8 to 18 in thick)
C--41 to 46 cm (16 to 18 in); silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) broken face moist, pale brown (10YR 6/3) broken face dry; massive; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; nonfluid; common very fine and fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm, 0 to 6 in thick)
Cf--46 to 200 cm (18 to 79 in); permanently frozen silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) broken face moist, pale brown (10YR 6/3) broken face dry; massive; common very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0). (121 to 175 cm, 48 to 69 in thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Nulato Hills - Continental Divide and Blackburn Hills Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 64 degrees 19 minutes 25.85 seconds north, longitude 160 degrees 53 minutes 39.95 seconds west, datum WGS84, UTM north 7134466.87 and UTM east 408423.67, zone 4W, datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: aquic
Soil temperature regime: gelic
Mean annual soil temperature: -2 to -1 degrees C. (28 to 30 degrees F.)
Thickness of organic material: 5 to 19 cm (2 to 7 in)
Thickness of ochric epipedon: 5 to 19 cm (2 to 7 in)
Depth to aquic conditions: 0 to 50 cm (0 to 20 in)
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations: 5 to 50 cm (2 to 20 in)
Depth to redoximorphic depletions: 5 to 50 cm (2 to 20 in)
Depth to permafrost: 35 to 50 cm (14 to 20 in)
Oe horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 2 to 3 moist, 4 to 5 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: mucky peat
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: very strongly acid to moderately acid (pH 4.5 to 6.0)
Cg Horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 moist, 6 to 8 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 0 to 25 percent
Silt: 50 to 80 percent
Clay: 10 to 25 percent
Organic matter: 0.4 to 3.0 percent
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 5.5 to 6.5)
C horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 moist, 6 to 8 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam
Sand: 0 to 25 percent
Silt: 58 to 88 percent
Clay: 3 to 17 percent
Organic matter: 0.4 to 3.0 percent
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 5.5 to 6.5)
Cf horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: permanently frozen silt loam
Sand: 0 to 25 percent
Silt: 58 to 68 percent
Clay: 3 to 17 percent
Organic matter: 0.4 to 3.0 percent
Reaction class: strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 5.5 to 6.5)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Chetlechak,
Pitka, and
Twin (AK) series.
Chetlechak soils have a moderately deep to permafrost depth class, a neutral to strongly alkaline (pH 7.0 to 8.5) reaction class at depths below 25 cm (10 in) and occur on depressions on flood plains of alluvial plains.
Pitka soils have a moderately acid to strongly alkaline (pH 6.5 to 8.5) reaction class at depths below 14 cm (6 in), a mean annual air temperature of -6 degrees C. (21 degrees F.), and occur on depressions on stream terraces of alluvial plains.
Twin soils do not have ponding, have a neutral to strongly alkaline reaction class at depths below 11 cm (4 in), and occur on stream terraces of alluvial plains.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 0 to 50 meters (0 to 165 feet)
Parent material: loess
Landform: loess covered plains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 300 to 400 mm (12 to 16 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -5 to -1 degrees C. (23 to 30 degrees F.)
Frost free period: 75 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Nikaat and
Runkelscreek soils.
Nikaat soils have volcanic glass at depths between 23 to 43 cm (9 to 17 in), cryoturbation throughout the entire profile, and occur on similar landforms.
Runkelscreek soils have a histic epipedon at depths between 0 to 60 cm (0 to 24 in), do not have permafrost, and occur on drainageways of loess covered coastal plains.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: poorly drained
Flooding: none
Ponding: rare/brief
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high to high in the Oe horizon, moderately high in the Cg and C horizons, and low in the Cf horizon
Permeability: moderate to moderately rapid in the Oe horizon, moderate in the Cg and C horizons, and very slow in the Cf horizon
Runoff: negligible
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: reindeer lichen, tussock cottongrass, Schreber's big red stem moss, marsh Labrador tea, cloudberry, lingonberry, cup lichen, dwarf birch, Flavocetraria culcullata, and greygreen reindeer lichen.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 240, Nulato Hills-Southern Seward Peninsula Highlands. The series is of moderate extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nulato Hills - Continental Divide and Blackburn Hills Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Particle-size control section: 35 to 110 cm (14 to 43 in)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in) (Oe horizon)
Hemic soil materials: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in) (Oe horizon)
Redoximorphic concentrations: 10 to 41 cm (4 to 16 in) (Cg horizon)
Redoximorphic depletions: 10 to 41 cm (4 to 16 in) (Cg horizon)
Permafrost: 46 to 200 cm (18 to 79 in) (Cf horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
User pedon ID: 2022AK180966
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.