LOCATION SATIN TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, thermic Udic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Satin clay loam--pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; black (N 2/0) clay loam, black (N 2/0) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; many very fine roots and pores; about 10 percent by volume pebbles of quartz 2 mm to 10 mm in diameter; mildly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 11 inches; black (N 2/0) very gravelly clay, black (N
2/0) moist moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; many very fine roots and pores; about 55 percent by volume pebbles of quartz 2 mm to 10 mm in diameter; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (4 to12 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to 18 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly clay,
dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; common very fine roots and pores; about 55 percent by volume pebbles of quartz 2 mm to 10 mm in diameter; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 24 inches thick)
Bt3--18 to 42 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; few fine faint brown mottles; weak fine blocky structure; very hard, firm; few very fine roots and pores; about 50 percent by volume pebbles of quartz 2 mm to 10 mm in diameter; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)
2Ck--42 to 80 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) and light yellowish
brown (10YR 6/4) clayey marl; massive; hard, firm; common medium soft bodies of calcium carbonate; calcareous, moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Falls County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highways 6 and 7 in Marlin, Texas, 4 miles north on Texas Highway 6; then 1/4 mile west on county road and 230 feet south in pasture.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 80 inches.
The A horizon has dark colors in hue of 10YR to neutral, value of 2 to 4, chroma of 0 or 2. It is gravelly clay loam or clay loam with siliceous coarse fragments mainly of pebble-size randing from about 2 to 35 percent by volume. The reaction is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The Bt2 horizon is very gravelly clay, with clay content, exclusive of coarse fragments, ranging from 40 to 55 percent. Coarse fragments range from 35 to 75 percent by volume and consists mainly of siliceous pebbles. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bt1 horizon is black (N 2/0), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), dark gray (10YR 3/2), dark gray (10YR 4/1), or dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2).
The Bt2 horizon is dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, 4/2), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), brown (10YR 5/3; 7.5YR 5/2), grayish brown (10YR 5/2), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), or dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4).
The Bt3 horizon is brown (7.5YR 5/2; 10YR 5/3), yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), or pale brown (10YR 6/3), with some pedons having few yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), brownish yellow (10YR 6/8, 6/6), or light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles.
The C horizon is clayey marl or chalky marl and is calcareous and moderately alkaline. Siliceous pebbles range from 0 to 10 percent by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brico, Durant, Florence, Limpia, Riesel, and Rumple series. Brico and Rumple soils have mixed mineralogy. In addition, Brico soils have redder hues in the control section and sola thicker than 40 inches. Rumple soils have limestone bedrock at 20 to 40 inches depth. Durant soils have less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. Florence soils have mean annual soil temperature of less than 59 degrees F. Limpia soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick and mixed mineralogy. Riesel soils lack a mollic epipedon and have redder hues in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Satin soils are on gently sloping convex uplands. The soil formed in ancient very gravelly clay deposits that are mostly remnants of the Uvalde gravel sheet. Slope gradients are mostly 1 to 3 percent, but range from 1 to 5 percent. The climate is warm subhumid. Mean annual precipitation is 34 to 40 inches, mean annual temperature ranges from about 60 degrees to 70 degrees F, and Thornwaite P-E index ranges from 52 to 64.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Branyon, Burleson, Crockett, Ferris, Heiden, Houston Black, Mabank, and Wilson series. Branyon, Burleson, Ferris, Heiden, and Houston Black soils have intersecting slickensides. Crockett, Mabank, and Wilson soils lack a mollic epipedon and have less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. These soils occupy slightly lower positions in the landscape than Satin soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeabiity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for pasture. A small acreage is cultivated to sorghums or oats for grazing. Native vegetation consists of tall and mid-grass of little bluestem, big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, and sideoats grama with scattered elm, mesquite, and hackberry trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in the Blackland Prairie of central Texas in areas that parallel the Brazos River. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Falls County, Texas, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon--0 to 18 inches (includes the A horizon and part of the argillic horizon); argillic horizon--5 to 42 inches; skeletal feature--about 50 percent siliceous pebbles in the control section.