LOCATION TSAMMANA AK

Established Series
Rev. MJM/JPM
02/2022

TSAMMANA SERIES

The Tsammana series consists of deep well-drained soils formed in sandy eolian and alluvial deposits with an admixture near the surface of coarse grained, eolian, glassy volcanic material and basalt stones and boulders. Tsammana soils are on beach terraces and footslopes of dipslopes. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 35 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 24 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS:

TYPICAL PEDON: Tsammana sand - under forbs and grass vegetation at 25 feet elevation (8 m). (All colors are for moist soil)

Oe - 0 to 1 inches (0 to 3 cm); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky peat; many very fine and fine roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

A1 - 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm); dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; non-sticky and non-plastic; common very fine and fine roots; non-smeary; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

A2 - 3 to 5 inches (8 to 12 cm); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; non-sticky and non-plastic; few fine roots; non-smeary; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

Bw1 - 5 to 8 inches (12 to 20 cm); dark brown (7.5Y 3/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; friable; non-sticky and non-plastic; few fine roots; non-smeary; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)

Bw2 - 8 to 15 inches (20 to 39 cm); dark brown (7.5Y 3/3) loamy fine sand; weak medium platy structure; friable; non-sticky and non-plastic; no roots; slightly smeary; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)

2BC - 15 to 34 inches (39 to 86 cm); dark brown (10YR 3/3) very cobbly loamy sand; weak medium platy structure; very friable; non-sticky and non-plastic; non-smeary; 5 percent gravels; 35 percent cobbles; 20 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 26 inches)

2C - 34 to 56 inches (86 to 143 cm); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very cobbly sand; weak medium platy structure; very friable; non-sticky and non-plastic; non-smeary; 5 percent gravels; 35 percent cobbles; 20 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 30 inches)

R - 56 inches (143 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) fractured basalt bedrock

TYPE LOCATION: Saint Paul Island Alaska; UTM Zone 2, 553505 E and 6345064 N.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the organic mat ranges from 1 to 4 inches. The weighted average particle size of the control section is sandy or sandy skeletal. A thin layer of recent sand generally occurs at the surface.

The A1 horizon (when present) has hue of 2.5YR or 10YR, value moist of 2.5, 3, or 4; chroma moist of 1 to 4. Texture is coarse sand, sand, or loamy sand; Reaction is strongly acid to neutral.

The A2 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR; value moist of 2.5 or 3; and chroma moist from 2 to 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, coarse sand, silt loam, or sandy loam. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 10 percent and stone content ranges from 0 to 35 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.

The Bw1 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value moist of 2.5, 3, or 4; chroma moist from 2 to 4. Texture is sand, loamy sand, or fine sandy loam, with occasional thin strata of sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam. Stony or very stony textures may occur. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 10 percent and stone content ranges from 0 to 50 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly acid

The Bw2 horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR; value moist of 2.5, 3, or 4, and chroma moist from 2 to 4. Texture is, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, with occasional thin strata of sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam. Stony or very stony textures may occur. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 10 percent and stone content ranges from 0 to 50 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly acid

The 2BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value moist of 3 or 4; and chroma moist of 2, 3, or 4. Texture is loamy sand, cobbly loamy sand, stony or very stony loamy sand, sand, cobbly sand, stony or very stony sand, with occasional thin strata of silt loam. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent, cobble content ranges from 0 to 25 percent, stone content ranges from 0 to 50 percent; Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid

The C horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value moist of 2.5, 3, or 4, and chroma moist of 2, 3, or 4. Texture is sand, loamy sand, and loamy fine sand with occasional thin strata of silt loam. Gravelly, cobbly, stony or very stony textures may occur; Gravel content ranges from 0 to 35 percent, cobble content ranges from 0 to 35 percent, stone content ranges from 0 to 50 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid to neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: none

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tsammana soils formed on beach terraces and footslopes of dipslopes adjacent to the coast. Thin recent eolian sand layers generally occur at the surface. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The climate is cold maritime. Mean annual temperature is 35 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation ranges from 19 to 28 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Zolotoi series and Einahnuhto series on adjacent dipslopes and valley bottoms. Polovina series occurs on dipslopes near volcanic cones and Lukanin series occur on dunes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to moderate runoff. Permeability is moderate over rapid to very rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly in grass and forbs dominated by Nootka lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis), Bering hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), and Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Saint Paul Island, Alaska. The series is of limited extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Saint Paul Island, Alaska, 2000.

REMARKS: Diagnostic layers and features recognized in this profile include: An ochric epipedon and a cambic horizon. In a layer between 7 and 15 inches thick within 30 inches of the mineral surface greater than 30 percent coarse silt to sand size particles in the fine earth fraction and aluminum + 1/2 iron content extracted by ammonium oxalate times 60 plus the volcanic glass content is equal to or greater than 30. It is assumed that the upper part of the pedon has at least 5 percent volcanic glass. A weighted average particle size class of sandy or sandy-skeletal. A lithic contact between 40 and 60 inches depth and a cryic temperature regime.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.