LOCATION ONSLOW NC+SCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Spodic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Onslow loamy fine sand, on a nearly level convex divide in woods. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
E--4 to 8 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loamy fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
E/Bh--8 to 14 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3), light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), and reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loamy fine sand; massive; very friable to firm; about 1/3 of the horizon is weakly cemented Bh and 1/3 is strongly cemented Bh concretions ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inch in size; few fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
E'--14 to 17 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
BE--17 to 20 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) fine sandy loam; few coarse distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--20 to 30 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy clay loam; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), and light gray (10YR 7/1) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few medium roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--30 to 41 inches; mottled light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), and light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few thin clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Btg--41 to 53 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8), and few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few thin clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
BCg--53 to 68 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1, 6/1) sandy clay loam with lenses of sandy loam; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; weak subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky; few small bodies of clean sand; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)
Cg--68 to 80 inches; white (10YR 8/1) sandy loam with common lenses of loamy sand; few medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) mottles; massive; friable; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Onslow County, North Carolina; 0.6 mile southwest of Swansboro, 0.3 mile north of intersection of SR 1444 and SR 1447, 100 feet east of SR 1444.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The loamy textured horizons extend to 60 inches or more below the soil surface. The reaction ranges from strongly acid to extremely acid in all horizons except where the surface has been limed.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 3.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4.
The E portion of the E and Bh horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 6. The Bh portion has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is discontinuous and ranges from 15 to 75 percent of the E/Bh horizon. Weakly to strongly cemented Bh concretions range from 15 to 35 percent of the Bh portion of this horizon. In some pedons the Bh horizon is destroyed by tillage but the Bh concretions remain in the plow layer as evidence of this horizon.
The E' horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 2 to 4. The A, E, and E/Bh horizons are loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, and sandy loam.
The BE horizon where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y or rarely 7.5YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 8 or is mottled in shades of these colors. Mottles in shades of gray, brown, and red are in most pedons with a dominant matrix color.
The Btg and BCg horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 2. Mottles in shades of yellow, brown, and red are in most pedons. The Bt, Btg, and BCg horizons are sandy clay loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, and sandy loam.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 3. Mottles in shades of yellow and brown are in some pedons. It is sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, and sand or is stratified with these textures. Some pedons have clayey or silty IIC horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Those closely related families are the Baymeade, Craven, Foreston, Goldsboro, Leon, Mandarin, Mascotte, and Seagate series. Baymeade and Seagate soils have arenic surface layers. Craven, Foreston, and Goldsboro soils do not have spodic horizons. Leon, Mandarin, and Mascotte soils have a continuous spodic horizon and in addition, Leon and Mandarin soils lack an argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Onslow soils are on slightly convex interstream divides in the lower Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. They formed in loamy Coastal Plain sediments at elevations of about 20 to 65 feet above sea level. Average annual precipitation is about 50 inches and mean annual temperature is 63 degrees F. near the type location.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing series, these are the Autryville, Echaw, Lenoir, Lynchburg, Pactolus, Rains, Stallings, and Wrightsboro series. Except for the Echaw, none of the soils have a spodic horizon. Echaw soils are sandy and have a continuous spodic horizon at a depth of 30 to 50 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. The seasonal high water table is about 18 inches below the surface for 2 to 4 months in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: About 2/3 of the acreage is cleared and used for crops, pasture, or urban. Main crops grown are corn, soybeans, and tobacco. Native woodland species include loblolly pine, longleaf pine, red oak, white oak, water oak, hickory, sweetgum, red maple, holly, dogwood, and sweetbay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Coastal Plains of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and possibly Georgia and Florida. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Onslow County, North Carolina, 1921.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 8 inches (the A and E horizons).
Albic horizon - the zone from a depth of 4 to 8 inches (the E horizon - not required).
Argillic horizon - the zone from a depth of 20 to 68 inches.
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation NC0049 ONSLOW 0- 3 59- 64 190-250 46- 57 25- 65SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness NC0049 NONE 1.5-3.0 APPARENT DEC-APR 60-60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- NC0049 0-17 LFS LS 0- 0 95-100 2- 8 1- 3 NC0049 0-17 FSL SL 0- 0 95-100 5-15 1- 4 NC0049 17-53 SCL SL CL 0- 0 95-100 15-35 2- 4 NC0049 53-80 VAR - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll NC0049 0-17 3.5- 5.5 .5-2. 0- 0 6.0- 20 LOW NC0049 0-17 3.5- 5.5 .5-2. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW NC0049 17-53 3.5- 5.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW NC0049 53-80 - - - -