LOCATION PHAROAH                 OK

Established Series
Rev. JFH: CRC
09/2015

PHAROAH SERIES

The Pharoah series consists of very deep somewhat poorly drained soils that were formed in fine textured residuum, on the uplands in the Cherokee Prairies (MLRA 112). Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 991 mm (39 inches). Mean annual air temperature is about 16.1 degrees C (61 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Vertic Argiaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Pharoah silt loam - on less than one percent slope in pasture, at an elevation of 228.6 meters (750 feet) above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; slightly acid, clear wavy boundary. [13 to 36 centimeters (5 to 14 inches) thick]

BA--18 to 31 centimeters (7 to 12 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; medium granular structure; firm; common fine and very fine roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) thick]

Bt1--31 to 58 centimeters (12 to 23 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common fine and coarse roots; continuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentration masses; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [20 to 38 centimeters (8 to 15 inches) thick)]

Bt2--58 to 94 centimeters (23 to 37 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common fine and very fine roots in cracks; many continuous clay films on faces of peds; few slickensides; common prominent brown (10YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentration masses; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 46 centimeters (0 to 18 inches) thick]

Bt3--94 to 119 centimeters (37 to 47 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common fine and very fine roots in cracks; many continuous clay films on faces of peds; few slickensides; common medium prominent brown (10YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentration masses; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches) thick]

Bt4--119 to 150 centimeters (47 to 59 inches); black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate coarse blocky structure; very firm; few very fine roots in cracks; many prominent continuous clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent redoximorphic iron depletion masses in shades of gray and redoximorphic iron concentration masses in shades of red or brown; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches) thick]

BC--150 to 188 centimeters (59 to 74 inches); black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very firm; few very fine roots in cracks; common distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds and pressure faces; few medium threads of gypsum crystals; many coarse prominent redoximorphic iron depletion masses in shades of gray and redoximorphic iron concentration masses in shades of red or brown; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: Okfuskee County, Oklahoma; about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) north and 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) east of Pharoah, Oklahoma; 183 meters (600 feet) north and 305 meters (1000 feet) west of the southeast corner, sec. 11, T. 11 N., R. 11 E. USGS Pharoah, Oklhaoma topographic quadrangle; lat. 35 degrees 26 minutes 11.39 seconds N. and long. 96 degrees 6 minutes 31.55 seconds W; UTM Zone 14; 762458 easting and 3925299; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 102 to more than 152 centimeters (40 to more than 60 inches)
Mollic epipedon: 25 to 76 centimeters (10 to 30 inches) thick.
Depth to argillic horizon: 13 to 56 centimeters (5 to 22 inches)
Depth to redox concentrations: 13 to 51 centimeters (5 to 20)
Particle-size control section: (weighted average) 35 to 60 percent clay

Ap or A horizons:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3, and 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1, 2, or 3
Texture: silt loam, fine sandy loam, and silty clay loam
Salinity: 4 mmhos/cm
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 2 to 4
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline

E horizon: (where present)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 3
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline
Salinity: up to 4 mmhos/cm
Exchangeable sodium: 2 to 4 percent

BA horizon: (where present)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline
Salinity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Exchangeable sodium: 4 to 8 percent

Bt1 horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline
Salinity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Exchangeable sodium: 4 to 8 percent

Bt2 horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silty clay or clay
Redoximorphic features: Fine, medium, distinct, and prominent iron depletions with shades of gray, iron concentration masses with shades of red or brown
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline
Salinity: 4 to 8 mmhos/cm
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 4 to 13

Bt3 horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silty clay or clay
Redoximorphic features: Fine, medium, distinct, and prominent iron depletions with shades of gray, and iron concentration masses with shades of red or brown
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline
Salinity: 4 to 8 mmhos/cm
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 4 to 13

BC or C horizons:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: silty clay or clay
Redoximorphic features: Coarse, medium, and prominent iron depletions with shades of gray, and iron concentration masses with shades of red or brown
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline
Salinity: 4 to 8 mmhos/cm
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 4 to 13.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pharoah soils are on paleoterraces on plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in old clayey alluvium over residuum weathered from shale. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 889 to 1143 mm (35 to 45 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 13.9 to 17.2 degrees C. (57 to 63 degrees F.). Elevation is 160 to 297.2 meters (525 to 975 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dennis, Taloka, Okemah, and Parsons soils. Dennis soils occur on higher landscape positions and contain a mollic epipedon 25 to 38 cm thick (10 to 15 in). Taloka soils occur on higher landscapes and have a combined A horizon and E horizon 41 to 102 cm thick (16 to 40 in). Okemah soils occur on higher landscape positions and do not have an exchangeable sodium percentage of more than 2 in any horizon. Parsons soils occur on higher landscape positions and contain an abrupt textural change.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 15 to 46 centimeters (6 to 18 inches) during December to May. Potential for surface runoff is high to very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is low.

USE AND VEGETATION: About half of these soils are in pasture or hay, and the remainder is used to grow crops. Principal crops are corn, wheat, soybeans, and sorghums. Native vegetation was tall prairie grasses and scattered hardwoods.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 84A, 112, 117 and 118 in northern Oklahoma, southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. The type location is in MLRA 112. The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, 1995.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this series are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 31 centimeters (0 to 12 inches) (Ap and BA horizons)
Aquic conditions: aquic moisture regime and redoximorphic features within the upper 51 centimeters (20 inches) of the argillic horizon;
Argillic horizon: 30 to 150 centimeters (12 to 59 inches) (the Bt horizons)

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

Soil Interpretation Record: Series OK0442

Supporting NSSC Soil Characterization Lab data Pedons:
S2012OK035001
S2012OK147001

Supporting User Pedons:
1984OK101003
1980OK091003
1968OK035003
1996OK107078

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.