LOCATION VARINA             NC+AL GA SC VA
Established Series
AG, Rev. MHC
05/2003

VARINA SERIES


MLRA(s): 133A, 137
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
Depth Class: very deep
Drainage Class (Agricultural): well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: perched, deep, common
Index Surface Runoff: medium to high
Permeability: slow
Landscape: middle and upper coastal plain
Landform: upland
Hillslope Profile Position: summits, shoulders, backslopes
Geomorphic Component: interfluves, side slopes
Parent Material: marine sediments
Slope: 0 to 10 percent
Elevation (type location):
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 60 degrees F.
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 49 inches

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Paleudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Varina sandy loam--cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam; common coarse pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) mottles; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few or common (2 percent) 1/4 inch spherical, rough-surfaced, very hard nodules of ironstone having dark red (10R 3/6) interiors; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

E--7 to 14 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) loamy sand; single grained; loose; few (1 percent) very hard spherical nodules of ironstone less than 1/4 inch in diameter having dark red (10R 3/6) interiors; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

BE--14 to 18 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; fine and medium pores; few (1 percent) very hard, smooth-surfaced nodules of ironstone; few (2 percent) fine quartz pebbles; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Bt1--18 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sticky; common fine and medium pores; few (1 percent) extremely hard smooth-surfaced nodules of ironstone less than 1/4 inch in diameter; few (2 percent) fine pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bt2--26 to 32 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sticky; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few (1 percent) fine soft red nodules; few (1 percent) hard smooth-surfaced nodules of ironstone; few (2 percent) fine pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bt3--32 to 38 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sticky; few faint clay films around red mottles; few (1 percent) fine soft red nodules; few (1 percent) hard nodules of ironstone 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter; few (2 percent) fine pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Btv1--38 to 57 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy clay; common (10 percent) medium and coarse red (2.5YR 4/8) nodules; few to common (1 to 10 percent) white (10YR 8/2) to light gray (10YR 7/1) tongues 1/2 inch in diameter forming a reticulate pattern with the red; massive; friable; except red material is slightly hard and brittle; few faint clay films on red nodules; few (1 percent) hard nodules of ironstone; few (2 percent) fine pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)

Btv2--57 to 67 inches; variegated red (2.5YR 4/8), yellow (10YR 7/8), and white (2.5Y 8/2); red colors tend to be horizontally oriented and are bordered by yellow colors; white colors in vertical and horizontal bands make up about 30 percent of the volume; average texture is sandy clay with red parts that are sandy clay loam and white parts that are sandy clay; weak coarse platy structure; red parts are hard and brittle; white parts are firm; common faint clay films in yellow and white parts; few (1 percent) hard nodules of ironstone in red materials; few (2 percent) pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)

Btv3--67 to 81 inches; reticulately mottled white (2.5Y 8/2), red (2.5YR 4/8), and yellow (10YR 7/8) sandy clay; white parts finer textured than red parts; weak coarse platy structure; friable; local zones of white slightly brittle; common faint clay films in white and yellow parts; few (2 percent) fine and medium pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 16 inches thick)

BC--81 to 100 inches; reticulately mottled red (2.5YR 4/8), yellow (10YR 7/8), and white (2.5Y 8/2) average texture sandy clay loam; ranges from sandy loam in the red parts to sandy clay in the white parts; weak coarse platy structure; friable; common faint clay films along borders of white parts; few (2 percent) fine to medium pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 24 inches thick)

C--100 to 118 inches; variegated yellow (10YR 7/8) and white (10YR 8/2) sandy clay loam; few sandy loam and sandy clay lenses; common fine and medium soft red (2.5YR 4/8) nodules; massive; friable; common (10 percent) fine and medium pebbles of quartz; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Johnston County, North Carolina; on North Carolina Highway 50, 0.72 mile south of junction of Secondary Road 1308.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 60 inches
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 48 to 60 inches, December to April, perched
Rock Fragment content: Hard nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent in the A horizons and upper B horizons and pebbles of quartz range from 0 to 30 percent in the A, E and BE horizons and 0 to 15 percent in the Bt and Btv horizons
Soil Reaction: very strongly acid to strongly acid, except where limed
Thickness of solum: 60 to 120 or more inches
Depth to horizons that contain more than 5 percent plinthite: 40 to 60 inches

RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:

A or Ap horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 to 3
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- loamy sand or sandy loam

E horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- loamy sand or sandy loam

BE horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- sandy clay loam or sandy loam

Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- sandy clay, clay loam, or clay
Mottles (if they occur)-- hue of 10R to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 8 may be present

Btv horizon:
Color--hue of 10R to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- sandy clay, clay loam, or clay.
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, in a reticulate pattern
Other features--bodies of reddish colored material (plinthite) are firm and brittle and are surrounded by brownish and yellowish softer material, and then material in shades of gray and white. The reddish and brownish parts are less clayey than the gray or white parts

BC horizon:
Color--hue of 10R to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- sandy clay or sandy clay loam, less clay than in the Btv.
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, in a reticulate pattern

C horizon:
Color-- is variable in color and texture but typically is variegated in shades of yellow, red, white, brown or gray
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-- sandy clay loam with lenses of sandy loam and sandy clay.
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, in a reticulate pattern

COMPETING SERIES:
Sunsweet soils -- have 5 to 35 percent ironstone concretions in the A and Bt horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape:
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Landform: upland
Hillslope Profile Position: summits, shoulders, back slopes
Geomorphic Component: interfluves, side slopes
Parent Material: marine sediments
Elevation: 250 to 500 feet
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 59 to 70 degrees
Mean Annual Precipitation: 38 to 52 inches
Frost Free Period: 190 to 245 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Ardilla soils-- have iron depletions of chroma 2 or less within 30 inches of the surface and contain less clay, on slightly lower landscape positions
Bonifay soils-- have sandy A horizons 40 to 80 inches in thickness
Bowie soils-- have less than 35 percent clay
Carnegie soils-- have less than 35 percent clay
Conroe soils-- have sandy A horizons ranging from 20 to 40 inches in thickness
Cowarts soils-- have less than 35 percent clay
Dothan soils-- have less than 35 percent clay
Faceville soils-- are redder and do not have plinthite within 60 inches of the surface
Freemanville soils-- have Bt horizons in hues of 5YR and redder
Fuquay soils-- have sandy A horizons 20 to 40 inches in thickness
Gilead soils-- have thinner sola and have fragipans
Lakeland soils-- soils have sandy horizons more than 80 inches in thickness
Marlboro soils-- do not have horizons that contain as much as 5 percent plinthite within 60 inches of the surface
Orangeburg soils-- are redder and do not have plinthite within 60 inches of the surface
Sunsweet soils-- have 5 to 35 percent ironstone concretions in the A and Bt horizons
Tifton soils-- have less than 35 percent clay

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage Class (Agricultural): well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: perched, deep, common
Index Surface Runoff: medium to high
Permeability: slow

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: cropland
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated-- are cotton, tobacco, corn, and small grains. Where wooded-- mixed hardwood and pine, white oak, southern red oak, hickory, longleaf pine, loblolly pine, flowering dogwood, American holly, and sourwood.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina
Extent: moderate

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Johnston County, North Carolina; 1965.

REMARKS: This series includes some of the soils that have been previously classed in the Marlboro series. It would have been classified in the Red-Yellow Podzolic great soil group.

Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 14 inches (Ap and E horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 14 to 81 inches (BE, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Btv1, Btv2, and Btv3 horizons)
Plinthite - the zone from 38 to 81 inches (Btv1, Btv2, and Btv3 horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

TABULAR SERIES DATA:

SOI-5  Soil Name   Slope  Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip  Elevation
NC0014 VARINA      0- 10   59- 70  190-245  38- 52   250- 500 
NC0122 VARINA      0- 10   59- 70  190-245  38- 52   250- 500 

SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness NC0014 NONE 4.0-5.0 PERCHED DEC-APR 60-60 NC0122 NONE 4.0-5.0 PERCHED DEC-APR 60-60

SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- NC0014 0-14 LS 0- 5 92-100 3-10 1- 3 NC0014 0-14 SL 0- 0 92-100 8-18 2- 5 NC0014 14-38 SC CL C 0- 0 92-100 35-60 4- 7 NC0014 38-80 SC CL C 0- 0 92-100 30-55 3- 6 NC0122 0-14 GR-SL GR-LS 0- 5 55- 75 4-12 1- 3 NC0122 14-38 CL GR-CL C 0- 5 70-100 35-50 3- 6 NC0122 38-80 SC CL C 0- 5 75-100 35-50 3- 6

SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll NC0014 0-14 4.5- 6.5 .5-2. 0- 0 6.0- 20 LOW NC0014 0-14 4.5- 6.5 .5-2. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW NC0014 14-38 4.5- 5.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW NC0014 38-80 4.5- 5.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.06- 0.2 LOW NC0122 0-14 4.5- 6.5 .5-2. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW NC0122 14-38 4.5- 5.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW NC0122 38-80 4.5- 5.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.06- 0.2 LOW


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.