LOCATION PURCELLVILLE VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Purcellville silty clay loam - on a smooth west facing gentle sideslope in an open field. (Soil was moist when described.)
Ap-- 0 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular block structure parting to moderate medium granular; very friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; less than 2 percent quartz gravel; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary (5 to 11 inches thick).
Bt1-- 9 to 20 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; many continuous distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; 3 percent quartz gravel; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2-- 20 to 30 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) silt loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, and non-plastic; many continuous distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; less than 2 percent quartz gravel; common to many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary (combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 10 to 39 inches).
BCt-- 30 to 34 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly sticky, and non-plastic; few discontinuous faint clay films on faces of peds; less than 2 percent quartz gravel; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary (4 to 9 inches thick).
C1-- 34 to 41 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) silt loam; massive; very friable, non-sticky, and non-plastic; few discontinuous faint clay films on weathered rock fragments; 2 percent quartz gravel and greenstone schist channers; few fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; strongly acid; gradual irregular boundary.
C2-- 41 to 64 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) silt loam; massive; friable, non-sticky, and non-plastic; few discontinuous faint clay films on weathered rock fragments; many black stains on greenstone fragments; 8 percent greenstone schist channers; few fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Loudoun County, Virginia. South of Virginia State Route 9 approximately 200 feet in Eudora subdivision, lot number 5. Virginia Grid Coordinates E 2,240,060; N 548,320.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to more than 60 inches. Depth to hard bedrock is more than 60 inches. Gravel sized quartz and greenstone schist fragments range from 0 to 5 percent in the Ap, Bt, and BC horizons; and from 0 to 50 percent in the C horizon. Soil Reaction ranges from strongly acid through moderately acid, unless limed.
The Ap horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 through 6. It is loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam in the fine earth fraction.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value 4 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. Some pedons have lithochromic variegations with hues of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 8. It is loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or clay in the fine earth fraction.
The BC and BCt horizons, where present, have hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 6 or 8. Some pedons have lithochromic variegations with hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 6 or 8. It is sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or clay loam in the fine earth fraction.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 6 or 8. Some pedons have lithochromic variegations having hue of 2.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 2 through 8. It is sandy loam, silt loam, loam, or clay loam in the fine earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chillum, Fletcher, Matapeake, Talleyville, Wernock, and Whitley series. Chillum, Fletcher, and Wernock soils have thinner sola. Matapeake soils formed in recent Coastal Plain sediments and have sandy loam to loam textures in the lower part of the particle size control section. Talleyville and Whitley soils have lithologic discontinuities.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Purcellville soils are on smooth upland topography in the Northern Piedmont. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent and are dominantly between 2 and 10 percent. The formed in residuum from biotite schist, greenstone schist, and crushed diorite. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 50 to 55 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 36 to 46 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Catoctin, Philomont, Swampoodle, and Tankerville series. Catoctin soils average greater than 35 percent rock fragments by volume in the particle size control section. Swampoodle soils are moderately well drained. Philomont and Tankerville soils average less than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Purcellville soils are well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is moderate to moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: The majority of the Purcellville soils are cultivated and used for permanent pasture or row crops. A significant acreage has been developed for residential use. A small area is in woodland. Corn is the principle row crop. Fescue, orchard grass, and red clover are typical pasture mixes. Native vegetation is upland hardwood forest with some bluegrass in open areas
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia, Maryland, and possibly Pennsylvania and Delaware. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Loudoun County, Virginia, 2004.
REMARKS: Purcellville is a town in western Loudoun County. These soils were previously mapped in the Chester series.
REVISED = 2/18/2004, MAV added active ce activity class.
Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are:
a) Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon).
b) Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 34 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and BCt horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Mechanical, mineralogical, and chemical analyses performed by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University staff. Lab numbers are 76-103 through 108 and BS. In addition, 20 other pedons have been sampled for PSA and 32 for chemistry.