LOCATION PALMERS MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, mixed, active, nonacid, frigid Vertic Epiaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Palmers mucky silt loam with a concave slope of 1 percent in a drainageway on a moraine under a mixed deciduous forest. Elevation of about 309 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 5 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mucky silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 28 cm; black (N 2/0) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) iron concentrations; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 2 to 38 cm)
Bw1--28 to 71 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine and medium roots; many medium distinct olive gray (5Y 4/2) iron depletions, and reddish brown (5YR 4/4) iron concentrations; 2 percent gravel; neutral clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--71 to 94 cm; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine and medium roots; faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) slickensides; few prominent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic stains; 2 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 38 to 89 cm)
Bk--94 to 157 cm; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine distinct pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) secondary carbonate concentrations; 2 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (38 to 76 cm thick)
BC--157 to 203 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) slickensides; 2 percent gravel; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; located about 900 feet South and 700 feet West of northeast corner of sec. 5, T. 52 N., R. 12 W; USGS French River quadrangle; latitude 46 degrees 56 minutes 9.6 seconds N. and longitude 91 degrees 52 minutes 57 seconds W, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonates ranges from 50 to 127 cm. Rock fragment content ranges from 1 to 5 percent gravel, by volume, throughout the profile. Slickenslides are common throughout the profile.
Some pedons have an O horizon.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 0 or 1. It is silty clay loam, silt loam or silty clay or their mucky analogues. It is very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay or silty clay. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay or silty clay. It is slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline.
The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay or silty clay. Some pedons have thin lenses of silt containing a high concentration of calcium carbonate. It is slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline.
Some pedons have C horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Palmer soils are in concave to linear drainageways and depressions on till plains and glacial lake plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in clayey Superior Lobe till of the late Wisconsinan glaciation. Mean annual temperature ranges from about 3 to 6 degrees C. and mean annual precipitation ranges from 625 to 875 mm. Annual frost free days range from 100 to 140 days. The elevation above sea level ranges from 150 to 400 meters.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Miskoaki, Amnicon, and Cuttre soils. The well drained Miskoaki, moderately well drained Amnicon and the somewhat poorly and poorly drained Cuttre soils form a hydrosequence with the Palmer soils. They all are found on higher lying or more sloping positions on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Very poorly drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 1.41 to 14.11 micrometers per second (0.2 to 2.0 inches per hour) in the upper part and 0 to 1.41 micrometers per second (0 to 0.2 inches per hour) in the lower part. The Palmers soils have seasonal high saturation at the surface during spring and fall in normal years. Palmer soils also pond following periods of heavy rainfall.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are used for pasture or are idle. Common tree species include northern white cedar, black ash, and tamarack
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. Moderately extensive. MLRA 92
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota. 2007
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon zone from the surface to a depth of 28 cm below the surface (A horizons); cambic horizon the zone from 28 to 94 cm (Bw horizons); calcic horizon zone from 94 to 157 cm (Bk horizon). Aquic moisture regime and suborder based on a presumed positive test with Alph alpha dipyridyl. Vertic subgroup based on linear extensibility of 6.0 cm or more within 100 cm of the surface.
ADDITIONAL DATA: