LOCATION PUU PA                  HI

Established Series
Rev. HHS/RCH/MRK
05/2012

PUU PA SERIES

The Puu Pa series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in basic volcanic ash in `a`a lava. Slopes range from 6 to 20 percent. Mean annual rainfall is about 510 millimeters (20 inches) and mean annual temperature is about 18 degrees C (64 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, amorphic, isothermic Humic Haplustands

TYPICAL PEDON: Puu Pa very cobbly medial very fine sandy loam, on a west facing, slightly convex, 6 percent slope, under grasses, at an elevation of 495 meters (1625 feet). (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures".) The 2C parts of these horizons consist of unconsolidated `a`a lava fragments of variable size.

A1/2C1 -- 0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very cobbly medial very fine sandy loam, weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and irregular pores; 15 percent angular `a`a gravel, 30 percent angular `a`a cobbles and 5 percent angular `a`a stones; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 centimeters {2 to 3 inches} thick)

A2 -- 5 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches); very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) cobbly medial very fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and irregular pores; 25 percent angular `a`a cobbles and 5 percent angular `a`a gravel; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 13 centimeters {3 to 5 inches} thick)

Bw1/2C2 -- 15 to 50 centimeters (6 to 20 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very cobbly medial very fine sandy loam, weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent angular `a`a gravel and 25 percent angular `a`a cobbles; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (31 to 41 centimeters {12 to 16 inches} thick)

2C3/Bw2 -- 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) extremely cobbly medial very fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent angular `a`a cobbles and 35 percent angular `a`a gravel; 20 percent of coarse fragments have thin white (10YR 8/1) coatings of calcium carbonate that are strongly effervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary. (50 to 55 centimeters {20 to 22 inches} thick)

2C4 -- 102 to 127 centimeters (40 to 50 inches); cobbles; 25 percent angular `a`a gravels, 65 percent angular `a`a cobbles, and 5 percent `a`a angular stones; abrupt irregular boundary. (20 to 30 centimeters {8 to 12 inches} thick)

2R -- 127 centimeters (50 inches); hard, massive `a`a blue rock.

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii. In South Kohala, drive east at the intersection of highways 270 and 19 for 4.2 miles. Pedon is located about 143 meters (470 feet) north of Highway 19 at an elevation of 495 meters (1625 feet). Kawaihae Quadrangle; lat. 20 degrees 1 minute 38.0 seconds N. and long. 155 degrees 45 minutes 15.0 seconds W. Old Hawaiian Datum.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 102 to greater than 152 centimeters (40 to greater than 60 inches).
Mean annual soil temperature: 17 to 22 degrees C (62 to 71 degrees F).
Coarse fragments: 35 to 70 percent of the pedon.
Coarse fragments may have calcium carbonate coatings at 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).

A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 2 or 3 moist or dry.
Chroma: 1 or 2 moist or dry.
Texture: stony or very cobbly medial silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
Structure: weak or moderate granular, subangular blocky.
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly acid (pH 5.6 to 6.5).

Bw/2C horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 2 to 5 moist or dry.
Chroma: 1 to 4 moist or dry.
Texture: cobbly or very cobbly medial silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
Structure: weak or moderate subangular blocky or massive.
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8).
Rock fragments coatings may have strong to violent effervescence
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8).

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Kapulehu series. Kapulehu soils are 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) deep to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Puu Pa soils are on mid elevation, leeward slopes on Mauna Kea and Kohala volcanoes at elevations from 457 to 1280 meters (1500 to 4200 feet). The soils are on all hillslope positions of undulating to hilly ash fields and `a`a flows that are 65,000 to 250,000 years old. A small extent of Puu Pa soils occur on steep cinder cones. Slope gradients range from 6 to 20 percent. The soils formed in basic volcanic ash in `a`a lava. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 510 to 1270 millimeters (20 to 50 inches) with most of the rainfall occurring from October through April. The mean annual pan evaporation ranges from 1780 to 2030 millimeters (70 to 80 inches). The mean annual air temperature ranges from 15 to 22 degrees C (60 to 71 degrees F). The mean summer soil temperature and the mean winter soil temperature differ by less than 6 degrees C (11 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kamakoa, Waikaloa, and Waimea series. Kamakoa soils are from alluvium with fine to coarse sand and gravel in the control section. Waikaloa and Waimea soils are medial.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is low. Permeability is rapid in the soil.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for grazing and wildlife habitat. Natural vegetation is bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), Natal redtop (Malinis repens), bur clover (Medicago hispida), ilima (Sida fallax), cactus (Opuntia megacantha), and mountain dandelion (Taraxacum vulgare).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South Kohala District, Island of Hawaii; MLRA 157. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey, Territory of Hawaii, 1955.

REMARKS: Soil moisture - dry in some or all parts for short intermittent periods totaling 90 or more days during the months of April through October in most years (Ustic moisture regime).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Lithic contact: 127 centimeters (50 inches)
Andic soil properties - 0 to 102 centimeters (0 to 40 inches)
Cambic horizon - 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 50 centimeters (0 to 20 inches)
ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID 04HI601005.
Edit Log: 5/4/04 Classification revised due to changes in Soil Taxonomy. Old classification: Medial-skeletal, isothermic Ustollic Eutrandepts. Competing series updated. MRK.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.