LOCATION PORTSMOUTH NC+FL SC VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Umbraquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Portsmouth fine sandy loam--cultivated.(Colors are for moist soil)
Ap--0 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Eg--12 to 19 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; few fine and medium roots; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
BEg--19 to 23 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine pores and old root channels; common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and yellow (10YR 7/8) iron masses; common medium flakes of mica; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Btg--23 to 35 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy clay loam with pockets and lenses of sandy clay and sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; moderately sticky; moderately plastic; common fine pores and old root channels; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), brownish yellow (10YR 6/8), and yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron masses; common thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; common medium flakes of mica; few medium grains of feldspar minerals; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 26 inches thick)
BCg--35 to 38 inches; gray (10YR 5/1), brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium flakes of mica; few medium grains of feldspar minerals; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
2Cg1--38 to 48 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sand with few small bodies of sandy clay loam; single grained; loose; common medium flakes of mica; few medium grains of feldspar minerals; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
2Cg2--48 to 72 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) and light gray (10YR 7/1) coarse sand; single grained; loose; common medium flakes of mica; few small to large pebbles; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, North Carolina; Tidewater Research Station; 0.7 mile south of U.S. 64 Highway on SR 1119, 75 feet east of SR 1119 at utility pole E160.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum Thickness: 20 to 40 inches
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 60 inches
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 0 to 12, November to May
Soil Reaction: A and B horizons range from extremely acid to strongly acid unless the surface has been limed and C horizons range from extremely acid to moderately acid
Other Features: Mica and other weatherable minerals along with pebbles are few to common in abundance in most pedons
A or Ap horizons:
Color--hue of 10YR or neutral, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 to 3.
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or their mucky analogues.
Eg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
BEg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of brown, yellow, or red and iron depletions in shades of olive or gray
Btg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture--sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam. Some pedons have strata or pockets and lenses of sandy clay and sandy loam.
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of brown, yellow, or red and iron depletions in shades of olive or gray
BCg horizon (if it occurs):
Color-- hue of 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture--loamy sand or sandy loam (if present this layer is less than 5 inches thick)
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shades of brown, yellow, or red and iron depletions in shades of olive or gray
2Cg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture--coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand. Some pedons contain strata or pockets and lenses of sandy loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam.
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shades of brown, yellow, or red and iron depletions in shades of olive or gray
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Landform: Marine Terrace
Elevation: Generally less than 25 feet above mean sea level
Parent Material: Loamy marine sediments
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 58 to 70 degrees
Mean Annual Precipitation: 42 to 65 inches
Frost Free Period: 200 to 260 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Altavista soils--moderately well drained soils (seasonal high water table 18 to 30 inches) on higher landscapes
Arapahoe soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in coarse-loamy family on similar landscapes
Augusta soils--Somewhat poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 12 to 24 inches) in fine-loamy family on slightly higher landscapes
Cape Lookout soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine family on similar landscapes
Conaby soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in coarse-loamy family with organic surface layers 8 to 16 inches thick on similar landscapes
Deloss soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine-loamy family on similar landscapes
Dragston soils--Somewhat poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 12 to 30 inches) in coarse-loamy family on slightly higher landscapes
Hyde soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine-silty family on similar landscapes
Pettigrew soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine family with organic surface layers 8 to 16 inches thick on similar landscapes
Roanoke soils--poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine family on similar landscape
Roper soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine-silty family with organic surface layers 8 to 16 inches thick on similar landscapes
State soils--well drained soils (seasonal high water table 48 to 72 inches) in fine-loamy family on higher landscapes
Tomotley soils--poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine-loamy family on similar landscapes
Wahee soils--somewhat poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 12 to 18 inches) in fine family on higher landscapes
Wasda soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in fine-loamy family with organic surface layers 8 to 16 inches thick on similar landscapes
Weeksville soils--very poorly drained soils (seasonal high water table 0 to 12 inches) in coarse-silty family on similar landscapes
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Very poorly drained
Permeability: Moderate in the solum and rapid or very rapid in underlying materials
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Mostly wooded
Dominant Vegetation: Where wooded--loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), red maple (Acer rubrum), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), willow oak (Quercus phellos), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), and redbay (Persea borbonia). Understory species include southern bayberry (Myrica cerifera), gallberry (Ilex, spp.), reeds (Arundinaria tecta), and greenbrier (Smilex spp.).. Where cultivated--corn, oats, soybeans, small grain, truck crops, and pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Lower Coastal Plain of Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and perhaps Alabama, Florida, and Georgia
Extent: Large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Norfolk Area, Virginia; 1902.
REMARKS: Portsmouth series was formerly classified as fine-loamy, mixed, thermic Typic Umbraquults. This revision changes the classification to fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal and moves the type location from Virginia to North Carolina.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 12 inches (the Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from a depth of 23 to a depth of 35 inches. (the Btg horizon)
Aquic moisture regime
Strongly contrasting particle-size class - below a depth of 38 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation NC0128 PORTSMOUTH 0-2 58-70 200-260 42-56 5-100SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock NC0128 NONE RARE 0-1.0 APPARENT NOV-MAY >60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- NC0128 0-19 MK-SL MK-FSL MK-L 0-0 98-100 10-25 10-20 NC0128 0-19 SL FSL L 0-0 98-100 5-25 4-13 NC0128 0-19 SIL MK-SIL 0-0 90-100 20-27 7-20 NC0128 19-35 L SCL CL 0-0 98-100 20-35 5-9 NC0128 35-38 LS SL 0-0 98-100 8-18 1-4 NC0128 38-72 SR COS LS 0-0 98-100 2-10 0-3
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Permeab Shnk-Swll NC0128 0-19 3.5- 5.5 8.-15 2.0-6.0 LOW NC0128 0-19 3.5- 5.5 3.-8. 0.6-6.0 LOW NC0128 0-19 3.5- 5.5 3.-15 0.6-2.0 LOW NC0128 19-35 3.5- 5.5 .5-2. 0.6-2.0 LOW NC0128 35-38 3.5- 5.5 0.-.5 2.0-6.0 LOW NC0128 38-72 3.5- 6.0 0.-.5 6.0-20 LOW