LOCATION VIKING MN+NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Epiaquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Viking sandy clay loam with a plain level slope on a glacial lake plain in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sandy clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; mildly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A--7 to 11 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) coatings on peds; discontinuous gravelly band in parts; slight effervescence, mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bg--11 to 18 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; sticky, very firm; some spots with colors of higher value and chroma along old root channels; about 3 percent coarse fragments; slight effervescence, mildly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
BCg--18 to 33 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to weak very fine angular blocky; sticky, very firm; about 3 percent coarse fragments; strong effervescence, mildly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Cg--33 to 60 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; weak very fine angular blocky structure; sticky, very firm; about 3 percent coarse fragments; strong effervescence, moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Norman County, Minnesota; about 3 miles north and 4 miles east of Lockhart; 950 feet east and 1,716 feet north of southwest corner of sec. 1, T. 146 N., R. 46 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of solum ranges from 20 to 36 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 9 to 18 inches in thickness. Commonly these soils have free carbonates throughout, but some pedons lack free carbonates in part to all of the upper 10 inches. The sola and C horizons typically contain 2 to 5 percent of coarse fragments of mixed lithology and mostly of gravel and cobble size. Part or all of the A and the upper part of the B horizon in some pedons lack coarse fragments. In other pedons a thin, discontinuous to continuous stone line is in the lower part of the A horizon or the upper part of the B horizon. A few stones are on the surface of some pedons. Between depths of 10 and 40 inches the content of clay ranges from 60 to 80 percent clay and from 5 to 20 percent fine sand or coarser.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2 or is N 2/0 or N 3/0. It typically is sandy clay loam or clay loam, but silty clay loam, clay or silty clay is within range.
The B horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. It has distinct or prominent mottles in some parts. The main part of the B horizon is clay, but the upper part of some is silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Slickensides occur in some pedons.
The C horizon has a hue of 5Y or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. It commonly has mottles at least in the upper part. The content of free carbonates gradually increases with depth to the C horizon, and the C horizon contains an equivalent of about 10 to 30 percent of calcium carbonate.
COMPETING SERIES: No other series are in this family. Closely related series are Dimmick, Dovray, Fargo, Fulda, Grano, Hegne, and Ludden series. The Dimmick, Dovray, Fargo, and Fulda soils are noncalcareous in the upper part of the control section and have 35 to 60 percent clay in the control section. Grano soils have range between 45 and 60 percent clay in the control section. Hegne soils have less clay in the control section and contain a calcic horizon with its upper boundary above a depth of 16 inches. Ludden soils have between 40 to 60 percent clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have plane or slighly concave slopes on glacial lake plains. Slope gradients are less than 6 percent. The Viking soils formed in clayey till, but in some places the upper 18 inches or less consists of partially sorted to sorted sediments. Mean annual temperature ranges from 37 to 43 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Fargo and Hegne soils and the Kittson, Mavie, Rockwell, and Roliss soils. Hegne soils are on slightly convex positions. Kittson soils are moderately well drained and are coarser textured. Mavie and Rockwell soils are poorly drained, have a zone of lime accumulation, and are coarser textured. Roliss soils are poorly and very poorly drained and are coarser textured.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is very slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Those soils commonly are cropped to small grains or sunflowers, or are used for hay and pasture. Original vegetation was tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Minnesota and North Dakota, primarily in the northern part of the Glacial Lake Agassiz Plain. Moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Norman County, Minnesota, 1970.
REMARKS: Classification only was changed 5/94. Competing series and other updates will be made later.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES Central File Code No. 839 for results of some laboratory analysis of the typical pedon and to No.'s 745, 746, and 1509 for additional data.