LOCATION TANSEM ND+SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Tansem silt loam - on a slope of 2 percent in hayland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated. Where described, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--6 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; thin very dark brown (10YR 2/2) coats of organic staining on prism faces; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--10 to 14 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; moderate coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bw horizons 6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--14 to 17 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium prismatic and weak coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strong effervescence; few large white carbonate spots; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--17 to 23 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; violent effervescence; many large prominent white carbonate accumulations; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bk3--23 to 28 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strong effervescence; few large and common very small white carbonate accumulations; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bk horizons 8 to 30 inches thick)
C--28 to 60 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) varved silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; many dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) stains on surface of varved material; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Burleigh County, North Dakota; about 4 miles east of Wing, 1,650 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 5, T. 142 N., R. 75 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonates typically is 14 to 20 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 16 inches in thickness and commonly includes the upper part of the Bw horizon.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam or silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or silt loam. It has weak or moderate grades of prismatic and blocky structure. Thin clay films or organic stains are on the faces of peds in some pedons.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 6 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It contains 15 to 30 percent calcium carbonate diffused and in few to many soft masses.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, rarely 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is massive and is varved or consists of thinly laminated loam, silt, silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam in distinct layers. Mottling and contrasting colors are in different strata. Finer or coarser textures are at depths below 40 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amor, Azaar, Coulterg, Diagulch, Max, Quigley, Rottulee, Shambo, Tewfel and Twin Creek series. Amor soils have soft bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Azaar soils have sandstone bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Coulterg and Diagulch soils do not have a cambic horizon and contain less silt in the control section. Max soils contain coarse fragments and formed in glacial till. Quigley soils contain 2 to 30 percent by volume coarse fragments and formed in alluvium. Rottulee soils have shattered limestone bedrock at depths of 20 to 30 inches. Shambo soils typically do not have calcic horizons, or the laminated silty C horizons and formed in alluvium. Tewfel soils soft shale bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches and do not have a calcic horizon. Twin Creek soils have hue of 7.5YR or redder.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tansem soils are on level to moderately sloping glacial lake plains. Slope gradients mainly are 0 to 4 percent but range to as much as 10 percent in a few places. The soils formed in laminated silty and loamy glacial lake sediments. The climate is cool, semiarid. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation from 14 to 17 inches. Most of the moisture falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Max soils and the Makoti, Parshall, Roseglen, Tally and Williams soils. Makoti soils are on nearby lake plains. Max and Williams soils are on nearby till plains. Parshall and Tally soils are on nearby lake plains and outwash plains. Roseglen soils are on nearby nearly level lake plains and are in complex with Tansem soils in places. Makoti, Parshall and Roseglen have a mollic epipedons more than 16 inches thick. In addition, Makoti soils are fine-silty and Parshall soils are coarse-loamy. Tally soils are coarse-loamy. Williams soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow or medium runoff. Moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains, flax, hay, and pasture. Native vegetation was green needlegrass, needleandthread, western wheatgrass, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern and west-central North Dakota and north-central South Dakota. The soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McLean County, North Dakota, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 10 inches (Ap and Bw1 horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 10 to 14 inches (Bw2 horizon).