LOCATION PATAPSCO           MD
Established Series
SLD-EHE-DRPV/Rev. JWB
09/2007

PATAPSCO SERIES


MLRA(s): 149A (Northern Coastal Plain)
Depth Class: Very deep
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Somewhat excessively drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately high to very high
Landscape: Coastal plain, uplands
Parent Material: Sandy eolian deposits over fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 15 percent
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 13 degrees C. (55 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation at (type location): 1067 mm (42 inches)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, subactive, mesic Grossarenic Paleudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Patapsco sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes, in a wooded area (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)

Ap1--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sand; single grain; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; few very fine and fine, and common medium roots throughout; neutral; abrupt irregular boundary.

Ap2--8 to 25 cm (3 to 10 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sand, single grain; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Ap horizons is 5 to 33 cm )

E1--25 to 84 cm (10 to 33 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; single grain; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; few very fine roots throughout; common medium and coarse tubular pores throughout; few fine charcoal fragments; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

E2--84 to 114 cm (33 to 45 inches); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sand; massive; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; few very fine and medium roots throughout; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

E3--114 to 122 cm (45 to 48 inches); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sand; massive; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; common medium tubular pores throughout; common coarse and very coarse distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) rounded clay bodies throughout; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

E4--122 to 137 cm (48 to 54 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) sand; massive; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

E5--137 to 155 cm (54 to 61 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; massive; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 67 to 175 cm)

Bt--155 to 188 cm (61 to 74 inches); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; many distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay bridges between sand grains; few distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) clay films on vertical faces of peds; common coarse and very coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron masses; few medium distinct white (10YR 8/1) rounded iron depletions throughout; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (20 cm or more thick)

BC--188 to 203 cm (74 to 80 inches); yellowish red (5YR 4/6), and 30 percent white (10YR 8/1) loamy sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; extremely acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Anne Arundel County, Maryland in a wooded area on Marley Neck, north of Tanyard Cove, about 1.2 miles southwest of the intersection of Marley Neck Rd. and Fort Smallwood Rd. (Rte. 173), about 1200 feet NW of Marley Neck Rd., about 400 feet N of Tanyard Cove. USGS Curtis Bay, Maryland topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 10 minutes 40.41 seconds N, and longitude 76 degrees 34 minutes 15.92 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the top of the Argillic horizon: 100 to 180 cm (39 to 71 inches)
Depth to the base of the Argillic horizon: Greater than 150 cm (59 inches). Many pedons have an argillic horizon which may extend below 200 cm (79 inches).
Solum Thickness: Greater than 200 cm (79 inches)
Thickness of Sandy Surface Layers: 100 to 187 cm (39 to 74 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 200 cm (79 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 102 to 183 cm (40 to 72 inches), January to April
Rock Fragments: 0 to 10 percent, by volume, rounded quartz gravel and cobbles and ironstone channers and flagstones, throughout the solum
Soil Reaction: Extremely acid to moderately acid throughout the profile, unless limed.
Other Soil Features: Some pedons have subhorizons in the argillic horizon containing lamellae. A lithologic discontinuity may be present below the argillic horizon with silty clay loam, clay loam or silty clay textures present below the contact.

RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
Ap or A horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 to 4
Texture--loamy sand or sand

E, AE or BE horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 2.5Y (centering on 10YR), value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--loamy sand, sand or fine sand

Bt or 2Bt horizon--hue of 2.5YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 8 or is neutral with value of 3 to 7
Texture--sandy clay loam, or sandy loam
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of olive or gray and iron masses in shade of red, brown or yellow

Btg or 2Btg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2 or is neutral with value of 3 to 7
Texture--sandy clay loam, or sandy loam; or silty clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay below a lithologic discontinuity.
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of olive or gray and iron masses in shade of red, brown or yellow

BC or 2BC horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 8, and chroma 1 to 8
Texture--loamy sand or sandy loam; or silty clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay below a lithologic discontinuity.

2C horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 7, and chroma 1 to 8
Texture--sand, loamy sand or fine sand; or silty clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay below a lithologic discontinuity.

COMPETING SERIES:
There are no other soil series in the family.

Similar soils in related families--
Henlopen soils--have a seasonal high water table 183 cm (72 inches) or more below the surface; on slightly higher landforms

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal plain, upland
Landform: Interfluves
Hillslope Profile Position: Summits, shoulders, backslopes
Geomorphic Component: Broad interstream divides
Parent Material: Sandy eolian deposits over fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 15 percent
Elevation: 3 to 122 meters (10 to 400 feet)
Frost-free period: 180 to 210 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C. (52 to 57 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1270 mm (40 to 50 inches)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Downer soils--have a coarse-loamy particle size control section and have a seasonal high water table 183 cm (72 inches) or more below the surface, on similar landscape positions
Evesboro soils--do not have an underlying argillic horizon, have a seasonal high water table 183 cm (72 inches) or more below the surface; on similar landforms
Fallsington soils--have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and have a seasonal high water table within 30 cm (12 inches) of the surface, at heads of drainageways
Fort Mott soils--have a 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inch) thick sandy epipedon and have a seasonal high water table 183 cm (72 inches) or more below the surface, on similar landscape positions
Galloway soils--do not have an underlying argillic horizon and have a seasonal high water table 61 to 122 cm (24 to 48 inches) below the surface, on lower lying landscape positions
Runclint soils--do not have an underlying argillic horizon, on similar landforms

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Somewhat excessively drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence Class: Deep to very deep 100 to 183 cm (40 to 72 inches) and common (present 3 to 6 months per year)
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None Ponding Frequency and Duration: None Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to low Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately high to very high
Permeability (obsolete): Rapid in the solum, moderately slow to moderately rapid in the substratum Shrink-swell Potential: Low to moderately low

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Woodland, cropland, urban and suburban development
Dominant vegetation: Where cultivated--soybeans, corn, and vegetables. Where wooded--mixed hardwoods and Virginia pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Coastal plain of Maryland and Delaware, possibly New Jersey
Extent: Small

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 2003

REMARKS: This soil was formerly included in the Evesboro series.
Diagnostic horizons and important features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 155 cm (0 to 61 inches)
Grossarenic feature--the zone from 0 to 155 cm (0 to 61 inches)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 155 to 188 cm (61 to 74 inches)
Paleudult feature--the clay content does not decrease more than 20 percent from the maximum within 150 cm (59 inches) of the surface

Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 200 cm (0 to 79 inches)

Previous revisions: 02/2006-JAK; 09/2006-DRPV

ADDITIONAL DATA: Data is available from the Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln NE, for pedon number S99MD-003-008


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.