LOCATION SA AK

Tentative Series
Rev CAP
05/2024

SA SERIES

Depth class: very deep
Drainage class: very poorly drained
Parent material: herbaceous organic material over sandy and loamy volcanic ash over herbaceous organic material over gravelly loamy till
Landscape: Islands
Landform: hills and plains in depressions, drainageways, and swales
Slopes: 0 to 7 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 2250 mm (88.5 in)
Mean annual temperature: about 4 degrees C. (39 degrees F.)
Frost-free season: 20 to 50 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Euic Fluvaquentic Cryohemists

TYPICAL PEDON: Sa peat - grass herbaceous depression at elevation 90 meters (300 feet). (All colors are for wet soil.)

Oi--0 to 16 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3), brown (10YR 4/3), dry; peat; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 20 cm, 1 to 8 in thick)

C1--16 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2), very pale brown (10YR 8/2), dry; ashy very fine sandy loam; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and common medium roots throughout; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary.

C2--25 to 30 centimeters (10 to 12 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) ashy fine sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and common medium roots throughout; moderately acid (pH 5.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness is 8 to 30 cm, 3 to 12 in thick)

Oe--30 to 170 centimeters (12 to 67 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) mucky peat; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear wavy boundary. (94 to 140 cm, 37 to 55 in thick)

3C--170 to 200 centimeters (67 to 79 inches); dark greenish gray (N 4) very gravelly sandy loam; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobble; moderately acid (pH 5.7).

TYPE LOCATION: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey Area, Alaska; Latitude 58 degrees 5 minutes 42.00 seconds and Longitude 152 degrees 48 minutes 28.00 seconds west, UTM north 6439303.08 and UTM east 511331.99, zone 5, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Mean annual soil temperature: 1.6 to 3.3 degrees C. (34.8 to 37.9 degrees F.)
Thickness of surface organic material: 3 to 20 cm (1 to 8 in)
Thickness of 1912 ash: 8 to 30 cm (3 to 12 in)
Depth to hemic materials: 11 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in)
Depth to gravelly till: 105 to 175 cm (41 to 69 in)
Depth to aquic conditions: 0 to 25 cm ( 0 to 10 in)

Oa, Oe, Oi horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: slightly, moderately, or highly decomposed plant material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: (ashy and glassy) sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or silt loam
Sand: 30 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 8 percent
Silt: 10 to 55 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

Oe horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: slightly, moderately, or highly decomposed plant material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

Oa, Oi horizons, where present:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: slightly, moderately, or highly decomposed plant material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

3C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, or their very or extremely gravelly analogues
Sand: 50 to 85 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
Reaction Class: extremely acid to slightly acid (pH 3.5 to 6.5)

Some pedons have medial silt loam horizons above the loamy-skeletal till substratum and/or sandy-skeletal outwash substratum.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Halfmoon (AK) and Icknuun (AK) series.
Halfmoon soils lack ashy and glassy volcanic surface horizons, have mean annual air temperature of 0 to 1 degrees C. (32 to 33 degrees F.), and occur on flood plains.
Icknuun soils lack ashy and glassy volcanic surface horizons, have mean annual precipitation less than 510 mm (20 in), and occur in depressions on till plains.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 5 to 365 meters (15 to 1205 feet)
Parent material: herbaceous organic material over sandy and loamy volcanic ash over mucky peat herbaceous organic material over gravelly loamy till
Landform: hills and plains in depressions, drainageways, and swales
Slope: 0 to 7 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1500 to 3000 mm (59 to 118 in)
Mean annual temperature: 0 to 6 degrees C. (32 to 43 degrees F.)
Frost free period: 20 to 50 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Izhut, Kizhuyak, Kodiak, Olds, Pasagshak, Sa, Salonie, Tonki, and Yukuk series.
Izhut soils lack thick organic horizons, have spodic horizons, have aquic conditions greater than 25 cm (10 in), and occur on higher landform positions.
Kizhuyak soils lack thick organic horizons, have thick ashy and glassy volcanic horizons, and occur on similar landform positions.
Kodiak soils lack thick organic horizons, have spodic horizons, lack aquic conditions within 150 cm (60 in), and occur on upland landform positions.
Olds soils have histic epipedons over medial volcanic materials and skeletal till and occur in similar landform positions.
Pasagshak soils lack thick organic horizons, have sandy-skeletal control sections, lack aquic conditions less than 41 cm (16 in), and occur on slightly higher flood plains and drainageways.
Sa soils have hemic organic materials and occur on similar landform positions.
Salonie soils lack thick organic horizons, have sandy-skeletal control sections, and occur on slightly higher flood plains and drainageways.
Tonki soils lack thick organic horizons, have andic properties, and occur on slightly higher flood plains and drainageways.
Yukuk soils lack thick organic horizons, have andic properties, have sandy-skeletal control sections, and occur on slightly higher flood plains and drainageways.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Very poorly drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the Oe horizon, moderately high to high in the C horizon, very high in the 2Oa horizon, and moderately high to very high in the 3C.
Permeability: rapid to very rapid in the Oe horizon, moderate to very rapid in the C horizon, rapid to very rapid in the 2Oa horizon, and moderate to very rapid 3C horizons.
Runoff: negligible to very low.
Ponding, duration, and depth: none to frequently with brief to very long and 0 to 61 cm (0 to 24 in).
Flooding and duration: none to frequently with brief to long.
Hydric Indicators: A2 Histic epipedon, A6 Organic bodies, and A8 Muck presence

USE AND VEGETATION:
The natural vegetation is dominantly sedges and water tolerant grasses. The principal use is grazing, but most areas are used only by wildlife.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 220 Alexander Archipelago-Gulf of Alaska Coast and MLRA 225 Southern Alaska Peninsula Mountains.
Extent: moderate.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Organic material: 0 to 16 cm (0 to 6 in) (peat material) (Oi horizon)

1912 volcanic glass (ashy) material: 16 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) (C horizon)

Organic material: 30 to 170 cm (12 to 67 in) (mucky peat material) (2Oe horizon)

Lithological discontinuity (Glacial till): 170 to 200 cm (67 to 79 in)

Source of the volcanic ash is the 1912 eruption of Mt. Novarupta and Mt. Katmai on the Alaska Peninsula.

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2007AO 02502

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.