LOCATION SHIRCLIFF          IN+WV
Established Series
Rev. SWN-BGN
11/2009

SHIRCLIFF SERIES


The Shircliff series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils on lake plains. They formed in thin loess and the underlying calcareous, clayey lacustrine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C (54 degrees F) and mean annual precipitation is about 1092 mm (43 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Shircliff silt loam on a 3 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 130 meters (425 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); 90 percent brown (10YR 5/3) and 10 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and (10YR 7/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]

Bt1--20 to 48 cm (8 to 19 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; strong fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay films on faces of peds; many distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt coats on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 inches) thick]

2Bt2--48 to 71 cm (19 to 28 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; many distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt coats on faces of peds; common medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

2Bt3--71 to 109 cm (28 to 43 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; many prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay films on faces of peds; many medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 51 to 127 cm (20 to 50 inches).]

2Btk1--109 to 135 cm (43 to 53 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; common distinct brown (10YR 5/3) and few distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay films on faces of peds; many medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium irregular calcium carbonate nodules; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

2Btk2--135 to 150 cm (53 to 59 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common faint brown (10YR 5/3) and few prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay films on faces of peds; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common fine faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium irregular calcium carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

2Btk3--150 to 203 cm (59 to 80 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; common distinct brown (10YR 5/3) and few prominent gray (10YR 6/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium irregular calcium carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline. [Combined thickness of the 2Btk horizon is 15 to more than 102 cm (6 to more than 40 inches).]

TYPE LOCATION: Perry County, Indiana; 400 feet east and 750 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 13, T. 5 S., R. 1 W; USGS Alton, Indiana topographic quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 4 minutes 28.1 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 28 minutes 4.9 seconds W., UTM Zone 16, 546658 easting and 4214214 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the loess: 15 to 51 cm (6 to 20 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 76 to 152 cm (30 to 60 inches), except severely eroded pedons range to less than 76 cm (30 inches)
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 102 to more than 203 cm (40 to more than 80 inches)

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Sand content: 2 to 15 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

A horizon (less than 13 cm or 5 inches thick), where present:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Sand content: 2 to 15 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 24 to 36 percent
Sand content: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

2Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6, and has redoximorphic depletions
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Sand content: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

2Btk, 2BCk, 2Btgk, 2BCgk horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: commonly silty clay or silty clay loam, and less commonly silt loam Clay content: 24 to 50 percent
Sand content: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 45 percent
Other features: these horizons contain carbonate nodules, masses, or coats on ped faces

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aaron, Alsup, Brookside, Derinda, Ebal, Goodson, Miamian, Morrisville, Munterville (T), Skrainka, Useful, and Vincent series. Aaron and Useful soils have a lithic contact within the series control section. Alsup, Ebal and Munterville (T) soils have a paralithic contact within the series control section. Brookside and Morrisville soils have rock fragments in the argillic horizon. Goodson soils have rock fragments in the surface layer. Miamian soils have the depth to the base of the argillic horizon at less than 102 cm (40 inches). Skrainka soils have more than 10 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section. Vincent soils have a hue redder than 7.5YR in the lower part of the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shircliff soils are on nearly level to gently sloping areas are on treads and more sloping areas are on risers of lake plains. They formed in 15 to 51 cm (6 to 20 inches) of loess and the underlying calcareous, clayey lacustrine deposits. The slope gradient is 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 10 to 14 degrees C (51 degrees to 57 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation ranges from 1016 to 1168 mm (40 to 46 inches). Frost free days range from 170 to 200. Elevation ranges from 114 to 183 meters (375 to 600 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hartz, Lauer, Markland, McGary, Percell and Zipp soils. The moderately well drained Hartz, somewhat poorly drained Lauer and well drained Percell soils formed in more than 20 inches of loess. The Hartz and Lauer soils are on flats. Percell soils are dominantly on risers. The well drained Markland soils are dominantly on risers. The somewhat poorly drained McGary soils are on flats. The very poorly drained Zipp soils are in very shallow depressions and flats.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low or moderately high (0.42 to 1.41 micrometers/s). Permeability is slow. The potential for surface water runoff is medium or high. Depth to an intermittent perched seasonal high water table is at 0.5 to 0.7 meters (1.5 to 2.5 feet) from December through April in normal years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for growing cultivated crops, mainly corn and soybeans, and hay and pasture. A few areas are used for woodland or are in wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mixed hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southern Indiana and western West Virginia. The acreage is of small extent in several MLRA's, including 114A, 114B, 120B and 126. The Type Location is in MLRA 120B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Scott County, Indiana, 1995

REMARKS: This soil was established for soils previously correlated as moderately well drained Markland soils with a water table. The concept of the Markland soils has been revised to be well drained and not have a water table above a depth of 1.8 meters or six feet.

Diagnostic surface and subsurface horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon: 0 to 20 cm or 0 to 8 inches (Ap horizon)
2) Argillic horizon: 20 to 203 cm or 8 to 80 inches (Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3, 2Btk1, 2Btk2, and 2Btk3 horizons)
3) Redoximorphic depletions: 48 to 203 cm or 19 to 80 inches

ADDITIONAL DATA: Data on the typical pedon S93IN-123-003 is at the NSSC, Lincoln, NE.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.