LOCATION ROSSMOYNE OH+IN KY
Established Series
Rev. DRM-TEL
11/2021
ROSSMOYNE SERIES
The Rossmoyne series consists of very deep moderately well drained soils that are moderately deep to a fragipan. These soils formed in loess and the underlying till. Slope ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1016 mm (40 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C (54 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Fragiudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Rossmoyne silt loam, in a pasture on a 3 percent slope on the rolling Illinoian till plain at an elevation of 300 meters (985 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak thick platy structure; friable; many roots; common tubular pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]
E--20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam; weak thick platy structure; friable; many roots; common vesicular and tubular pores; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) krotovinas and worm casts comprise 10 percent of mass; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 15 cm (6 inches) thick]
BE--30 to 43 cm (12 to 17 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common roots; common tubular pores; few medium faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) iron depletions; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]
Bt--43 to 58 cm (17 to 23 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common roots; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on vertical faces of peds; common medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; common distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on vertical faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [8 to 46 cm (3 to 18 inches) thick]
2Btx1--58 to 94 cm (23 to 37 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate thick platy; very firm; few roots on faces of prisms; common tubular pores; many distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films in pores and on plates; many prominent gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on vertical faces of prisms; common fine distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions; common faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay depletions on vertical faces of prisms; 5 percent rock fragments; brittle; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Btx2--94 to 142 cm (37 to 56 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thick platy and weak medium subangular blocky; very firm; common prominent gray (N 5/) and distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of prisms and in pores; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films in pores and on horizontal faces of plates; common faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay depletions on faces of prisms; common dark masses of iron and manganese oxides accumulation; 5 percent rock fragments; brittle; very strongly acid grading to slightly acid in lower part; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Btx horizon is 25 to 117 cm (10 to 46 inches).]
2Bt--142 to 206 cm (56 to 81 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few tubular pores; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few dark masses of iron and manganese oxides accumulation; 10 percent angular rock fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [46 to 102 cm (18 to 40 inches) thick]
2C--206 to 246 cm (81 to 97 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam; massive; few distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; 25 percent angular rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Highland County, Ohio; 8 miles south of Hillsboro, in Concord Township; 450 yards west of intersection of McAffe and Concord Roads and 50 yards north of McAffe Road; lat. 39 degrees 5 minutes 18 seconds N. and long. 83 degrees 37 minutes 28 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 152 to 305 cm (60 to 120 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 152 to 305 cm (60 to 120 inches)
Thickness of the loess: 46 to 102 cm (18 to 40 inches)
Depth to the fragipan: 46 to 76 cm (18 to 30 inches) in uneroded pedons
Particle-size control section: averages 25 to 35 percent clay
Rock fragments: glacial till pebbles
Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 (6 or 7 dry)
Chroma: 2 or 3, except for eroded pedons that range to chroma of 4
Texture: commonly silt loam or less commonly silty clay loam in eroded pedons
Rock fragment content: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
A horizon, where present:
Value: 2 or 3 (4 or 5 dry)
Chroma: 2
Texture: silt loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid
Some pedons have a BA or B/E horizon.
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Redox features: iron depletions with low chroma present within the upper 25 cm (10 inches); distinct or prominent clay depletions present just above the contact with the fragipan
Rock fragment content: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid
The proportion of sand and small gravel increases gradually in and near the lithologic discontinuity.
2Bt horizon, where present (in till or loamy pedisediments):
Texture: clay loam or loam
Rock fragment content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid
2Btx horizon or Btx horizon, where present:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: commonly clay loam or loam, or less commonly silt loam or silty clay loam (2Btx); silt loam or silty clay loam (Btx)
Structure: moderate or weak very coarse prismatic structure that parts to platy
Redox features: common or many iron depletions with low chroma
Rock fragment content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid ranging to slightly acid in the lower part
2Bt or 2Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: clay loam, loam, or clay
Rock fragment content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Some pedons have a 2BC horizon.
2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam, clay loam, or clay
Rock fragment content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Series in a similar family are the
Nabb,
Pierpont,
Plumfield, and
Shakamak series in the active cation-exchange activity class. Nabb and Shakamak soils have a mantle of loess thicker than 102 cm (40 inches). Pierpont soils formed in till of Wisconsinan age and have rock fragments of shale and siltstone lithology. Plumfield soils are typically less than 51 cm to the fragipan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rossmoyne soils are on loess-capped till plains of Illinoian age. Slope ranges from 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in 46 to 102 cm (18 to 40 inches) of loess and the underlying till. Some areas have a layer between the loess and till (pedisediments) that consists of an admixture of loess and erosional sediments from the buried paleosol. Locally this layer contains more sand than the overlying loess and a few pebbles concentrated by erosion. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 914 to 1170 mm (36 to 46 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 9 to 14 degrees C (48 to 57 degrees F).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are principally members of the toposequence including the well drained
Cincinnati, the somewhat poorly drained
Avonburg, the poorly drained
Clermont, and the poorly drained, moderately dark colored
Blanchester soils. Cincinnati soils are on higher topographic positions and the other members of the sequence on lower positions. Other associated soils include
Boston and
Grayford soils, which have a lower solum from fine-textured limestone residuum within 107 cm (42 inches).
Jonesboro soils do not have a fragipan and are on similar landscape positions.
Loudon soils do not have a fragipan and have a fine-textured lower solum derived from calcareous shale. Nearby soils on steeper slopes, include
Morrisville and
Edenton soils which do not have a fragipan and are underlain by residuum from bedrock and Eden and
Fairmount soils which formed in bedrock and lack a mantle of loess and glacial till.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to high depending upon slope. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high above the fragipan and moderately low in the fragipan. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan and moderately slow or slow in the fragipan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of the area of Rossmoyne soils is used for general farming. Cultivated crops are mainly corn, wheat, soybeans, grass and legumes, and tobacco. Some Rossmoyne soils are used for pasture or woodland, and a small portion is idle. Native vegetation is deciduous hardwoods including beech, white and red oaks, maple, hickory, and tulip poplar.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and north-central Kentucky; dominantly in MLRA 114A with lesser extents in MLRAs 111D, 114B, 120C, and 121. The type location is in MLRA 114A. The series is of large extent, about 450,000 acres.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hamilton County, Ohio, 1915.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 43 cm (Ap, E, BE horizons).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 43 to 206 cm (Bt, 2Btx, 2Bt horizons).
Fragipan: from a depth of 58 to 142 cm (2Btx horizon).
Aquic conditions: iron depletions present in the upper 25 cm (10 inches) of the argillic horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data for the Rossmoyne series is available through The Ohio State University Soil Characterization Laboratory for the following profiles: AD-W10, BN-S10, BN-S11, CL-3, CT-48, CT-65, CT-78, HY-51 (typical pedon), OH-S51-71-6 (Ross County), RO-42, WA-S13, WA-67, and WA- 8.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.