LOCATION SUNBURY IL+IN

Established Series
Rev. JBF-JWS-CEW-AAC
12/2015

SUNBURY SERIES

The Sunbury series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in loess or other silty material and the underlying calcareous loamy till or lacustrine sediments on till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 991 mm (39 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aquollic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Sunbury silt loam in a nearly level cultivated field at an elevation of about 208 meters (680 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common very fine roots throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [18 to 24 cm (7 to 9 inches) thick]

E--20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam; moderate thin and medium platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; common very fine roots throughout; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches) thick]

BE--30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) (dry) clay depletions on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 inches) thick]

Bt1--38 to 64 cm (15 to 25 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common very fine and fine roots between peds; many distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organo-clay films on faces of peds; few medium irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; common fine faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--64 to 91 cm (25 to 36 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; firm; common fine roots between peds; many distinct dark grayish brown 10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organo-clay films on faces of peds; few medium irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; few medium distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--91 to 109 cm (36 to 43 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; friable; few very fine and fine roots between peds; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organo-clay films on faces of peds and on surfaces along pores; common medium spherical and irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) iron-manganese nodules throughout; common medium faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 50 to 90 cm (20 to 36 inches.)]

2Btg--109 to 119 cm (43 to 47 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organo-clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine and medium irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 1 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 inches thick)]

2Cg--119 to 183 cm (47 to 72 inches); 50 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and 50 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; massive; firm; common fine and medium spherical white (10YR 8/1) weakly cemented calcium carbonate nodules throughout; few fine and medium irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; 3 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Illinois; about 2 miles north of Atwood; 1,410 feet east and 1,270 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 19, T. 16 N., R. 7 E.; 15 meters (50 feet) south of the center of the road; USGS Atwood, IL topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees, 49 minutes, 27.5 seconds N., and long. 88 degrees, 27 minutes, 25.8 seconds W.; UTM Zone 16S, 0375296 easting, 4409272 northing., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 114 to 165 cm (45 to 65 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 114 to 152 cm (45 to 60 inches)
Depth to horizons with more than 15 percent sand: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Average content of clay in the particle-size control section: 35 to 45 percent

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value of 2 to 3 (4 or 5 dry)
Chroma of 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

E horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR
Value of 3 to 5 (5 to 7 dry)
Chroma of 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

BE horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR
Value of 4 or 5 (5 to 7 dry)
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid

Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: typically silty clay loam, but some subhorizons are silty clay.
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

2Bt or 2Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loam, clay loam, or silt loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Sand content: 15 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: typically less than 5 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline and contains carbonates in some pedons.

Some pedons have 2BC horizons or both 2Bt and 2BC horizons.

2C or 2Cg horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value of 5 or 6
Chroma of 1 to 8
Texture: commonly loam, but some subhorizons are clay loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam.
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Sand content: 15 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: less than 15 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or slightly alkaline and contains carbonates in most pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hoyleton and Sedalia series. Hoyleton soils do not have carbonates within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches). Sedalia soils have 15 percent or more rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sunbury soils are typically on convex slopes of slightly dissected, nearly level to gently undulating till plains. In many places, they are in narrow bands between soils bordering the streams and having lighter colored surface layers and soils on the undissected interfluves having thicker dark colored surface layers. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Sunbury soils formed in 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches) of loess or other silty material, and the underlying calcareous loamy till or lacustrine sediments of Wisconsinan age. The mean annual temperature varies from 8 to 12 degrees C. (46 to 54 degrees F), the mean annual precipitation varies from 813 to 1092 mm (32 to 43 inches), frost free period ranges from 160 to 195 days, and elevation ranges from 180 to 250 meters (590 to 820 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Drummer, Flanagan, and Sabina soils. The poorly drained Drummer soils have a mollic epipedon and have less clay in the subsoil. They are on low lying or nearly level parts of the interfluves below the Sunbury soils. Flanagan soils are adjacent on the generally undissected interfluves at similar or slightly higher topographic positions. Sabina soils are adjacent and closer to the drainageways. They are on similar or slightly lower topographic positions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. These soils have a perched seasonal high water table at a depth of 30 to 61 cm (1 to 2 feet) below the surface at some time between January and May in most years. The potential for surface runoff is low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second) in the solum and moderately high (1.41 to 4.23 micrometers per second) in the underlying material. Permeability is moderate in the solum and moderately slow in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn soybeans, small grain, and forages are the principal crops. Native vegetation is grasses and widely spaced deciduous trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Known distribution is in east central and north central Illinois and west central Indiana in MLRAs 108, 110, and 111. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: De Witt County, Illinois, 1937.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 38 cm (Ap, E, and BE horizons);
argillic horizon - the zone from 38 to approximately 119 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and 2Btg horizons);
lithologic discontinuity: - at a depth of 109 cm (43 inches) (contact between the Bt3 and 2Btg horizons);
aquic conditions - redoximorphic features in all horizons below a depth of 38 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, 2Btg, and 2Cg horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.