LOCATION RANSOM MN+IAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ransom silty clay loam on a plane slope of about 2 percent on a ground moraine in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--8 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
AB--12 to 16 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; gradual irregular boundary.
Bw1--16 to 19 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--19 to 29 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redoximorphic depletions; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--29 to 33 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redoximorphic depletions; thin stone line in lower part; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
2BCk--33 to 43 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; many medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redoximorphic depletions; few soft accumulations of carbonates; about 5 percent coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
2BC--43 to 80 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; many medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redoximorphic depletions; few soft accumulations of carbonates; about 5 percent coarse fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Nobles County, Minnesota; about 8 miles south and 6 miles west of Worthington; 1,470 feet west and 30 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 34, T. 101 N., R. 41 W. USGS Bigelow, Minnesota Quadrangle. Latitude 43 degrees 30 minutes 01 seconds N, Longitude 95 degrees 44 minutes 08 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates is 22 to 40 inches. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 14 to 22 inches. The depth of the loess is 24 to 40 inches. Coarse fragments typically are lacking in the upper mantle, but they comprise 2 to 8 percent of horizons in glacial till. A stone line as thick as 5 inches and containing as much as 20 percent of coarse fragments is at the base of the upper mantle in some pedons. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages between 22 and 35 percent clay and 5 to 15 percent of fine sand and coarser particles.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silty clay loam or silt loam. It is neutral or slightly acid.
The AB horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silty clay loam or silt loam. It is neutral or slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It is neutral to slightly alkaline.
The 2BCk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 5. It is loam or clay loam. It has weak coarse prismatic structure. It is slightly or moderately alkaline.
The 2BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 5. It is loam or clay loam. It has weak coarse prismatic structure. It is slightly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amana, Breeds, Grantcenter, Joyce, Kingston, Larpenteur, Nerwoods, and Primghar. Amana soils lack coarse fragments and do not have carbonates above 60 inches. Breeds soils have a paralithic contact within 60 inches. Grantcenter, Joyce, Kingston soils do not have coarse fragments above a depth of 60 inches. Larpenteur soils have carbonates above 22 inches. Nerwood soils do not have carbonates above 40 inches. Primghar soils formed completely in loess and do not have coarse fragments above 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ransom soils have plane or convex slopes. They typically are on topography with a dendritic drainage system. Slopes typically are long and uniform. Slope gradients range from 1 to 3 percent. These soils formed in 24 to 40 inches of loess and calcareous firm fine-loamy glacial till. A thin stone line commonly separates the loess from the till. The climate is midcontinental with warm summers and cold winters. Mean annual temperature is approximately 45 to 52 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 25 to 28 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Everly, Marcus, Rushmore, and Sac soils. The well drained Sac soils and the poorly drained Rushmore soils formed in similar materials, and are in a drainage sequence with the Ransom soils. The well drained Everly soils lack or have a thinner silty surface layer. The Marcus soils have formed entirely in loess and are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is medium. Permeability is moderate or moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Largely cropped to corn and soybeans. Native vegetation was tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Iowa and southwestern Minnesota. Moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nobles County, Minnesota, in September, 1970.
REMARKS: The diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic--the zone from 0 to 19 inches (Ap, A, AB and Bw1 horizons); cambic horizon--the zone from 19 to 33 inches (Bw2 and Bw3 horizons); calcic horizon--the zone form 33 to 43 inches (2BCk horizon); udic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Central File Code No. 792 for results of some laboratory analysis of the typical pedon.