LOCATION SUNKEN MD+DE
Established Series
SYD-RBT/Rev. MDJ
12/2012
SUNKEN SERIES
MLRA(s): 153C, 153D
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sunken mucky silt loam on a smooth 0 percent slope in a submerging upland (Colors are for a moist soil.)
Oi--0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) peat, slightly decomposed plant material dominantly composed of pine needles; fiber content is three-fourths of the soil volume after rubbing; 10 percent mineral soil material; many fine, medium, and coarse live roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 centimeters (1 to 4 inches thick))
Oa--5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) muck, highly decomposed plant material; fiber content is one-tenth of the soil volume after rubbing; 10 percent mineral soil material; common fine and medium live roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches thick))
Ag--10 to 15 centimeters (4 to 6 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common fine and few medium pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 centimeters (2 to 8 inches thick))
Eg--15 to 46 centimeters (6 to 18 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam, massive; friable, sticky, plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common fine and few medium and very fine pores; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) soft iron masses; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 36 centimeters (8 to 14 inches thick))
Btg1--46 to 97 centimeters (18 to 38 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam, mottles; massive; firm, sticky, plastic; few medium and fine roots; common fine and few medium pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron masses; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (38 to 74 centimeters) (15 to 29 inches thick))
2Btg2--97 to 165 centimeters (38 to 65 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) very fine sandy loam, massive; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; common fine and very fine pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron masses; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (43 to 76 centimeters) (17 to 30 inches thick))
2Cg--165 to 183 centimeters (65 to 72 inches); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) fine sand, massive; common coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron masses; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION:
USGS Topographic Quadrangle: Golden Hill, Maryland
State: Maryland
County: Dorchester County
Latitutde (NAD 83): 38.431667 N
Longitude (NAD 83): 76.232778 W
Approximately 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) north of Golden Hill, 610 meters (2000 feet) northeast of Beaverdam Creek and Smithville Road, and 275 meters (900 feet) east of Smithville Road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the top of the Argillic: 38 to 61 centimeters (15 to 24 inches)
Depth to the base of the Argillic: 142 to 178 centimeters (56 to 70 Inches)
Solum Thickness: 102 to 205 centimeters (40 to 81 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 183 centimeters (72 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches, January to December)
Thickness of Organic Materials: 5 to 20 to centimeters (2 to 8 inches)
Soil Reaction: Moderately acid to neutral below 46 centimeters (18 inches). Above 46 centimeters (18 inches) reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral. It can range from extremely acid through strongly acid upon drying.
Total Sulfur Content (Organic Horizons): 0.50 percent to 1.5 percent
Total Sulfur Content (Mineral Horizons): 0.05 percent to 0.50 percent
Electrical Conductivity (Organic Horizons): Greater than 8 mmhos/sec
Electrical Conductivity (Mineral Horizons): 2 to 8 mmhos/sec
n-Value: Typically less than 0.7 but may range up to 1.0
Other Soil Features: Structure and clay films are faint or not visible at all in the subsoil because of the clay being dispersed due to the presence of soluble salts.
Range of Individual Horizons:
Oa, Oe (if it occurs), or Oi horizons:
Color--hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 2 to 4
Texture - Slightly decomposed plant material or highly decomposed plant material, less commonly moderately decomposed plant material
Other features-- Mineral material content ranges from 5 to 40 percent
Ag horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction) - silt loam
Eg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction) - silt loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shade of red, yellow,
or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray
Btg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction) -- silt loam to silty clay loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shade of red, yellow,
or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray
2Btg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to7, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction) - fine sandy loam to very fine sandy loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shade of red, yellow,
or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray
2Cg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to7, and chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction) - fine sand to loamy sand
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shade of red, yellow,
or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray
COMPETING SERIES:
Baylock soils--formed in loess or silty alluvium over silty and loamy alluvium, occur on stream terraces
Ginat soils--formed in silty alluvium over silty, loamy and clayey alluvium, and have a shallower argillic horizon
Laconia soils--have a 2Btg horizon with a higher content of clay; occur in depressions on karst landscapes
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal Plain, lowland
Landform: Submerged uplands tidal marshes, flats
Parent Material: Silty eolian deposits over fluviomarine sediments
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Elevation: 0 to 0.3 meters (0 to 1 feet)
Frost-free period: 180 to 220 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 12.2 to 14.4 degrees C. (54 to 58 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1066 to 1219 millimeters (42 to 48 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bestpitch soils-have a clayey particle-size class, are Histosols with less than 130 centimeters (51 inches) of organic materials
Elkton soils- have fine-silty particle-size classes with weighted average clay contents of 27 to 35 percent clay, on adjacent uplands
Honga soils-have a loamy particle-size class, are Histosols with less than 130 centimeters (51 inches) of organic materials
Othello soils-- have fine-silty particle-size classes with weighted average clay contents of less than 27 percent clay, on adjacent uplands
Tangier soils-are very poorly drained, on similar landforms, have electrical conductivities of greater than 8 mmhos/cm (higher salt content)
Transquaking soils-are Histosols with greater than 130 centimeters (51 inches) of organic materials
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Depth Class: Very deep
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Very poorly drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Very shallow (< 25 centimeters (10 inches)) and permanent (present continuously)
Flooding Frequency and Duration: Occasional and very brief
Ponding Frequency and Duration: Occasional and very brief to brief
Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately low to moderately high
Permeability Class (obsolete): Slow
Shrink-swell Potential: Low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Sunken soils are used mainly as wetland wildlife habitat.
Dominant Vegetation: Where wooded-- Dominant vegetation is stunted loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens), saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), marsh-elder (Iva frutescens), poison ivy (Rhus radicans), and groundsel-tree (Baccharis halimifolia).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Maryland and Delaware
Extent: Moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dorchester County, Maryland, 1992. The name is coined.
REMARKS:
This soil was previously included in the tidal marsh and swamp miscellaneous areas; and in the Elkton and Othello soil series as inclusions in the low phase map units.
These soils become extremely acid when drained.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 46 centimeters (0 to 18 inches) (Oi, Oa, Ag, Eg horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 46 to 165 centimeters (18 to 65 inches) (Btg1 and 2Btg2 horizons)
Aquic conditions-- the zone from 0 to 183 centimeters (0 to 72 inches)
Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Lithologic discontinuity--97 to 183 centimeters (38 to 72 inches)
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 152 centimeters (0 to 60 inches)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Typical Data Map Unit: 458409
Typical User Pedon ID: 07D0019001_Sunken
The following changes have been made:
1) Revisions to formatting and data consistency with NASIS.
2) Revisions made to include NASIS information and laboratory data
Previous Revision: 11/2002, Rev. WDC, JEB
Characterization data is available from the NSSL for the following pedons: Refer to publication "Tidal Marsh Soils of Maryland", Darmody, R.G. and Foss, J.E., Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station Publication MP 930, October 1978.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.