LOCATION VASSO MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, isotic, frigid Aquic Dystric Eutrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Vasso fine sandy loam on a 1 percent slope on a glacial lake plain. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary (1 to 6 inches thick).
E--4 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular structure; very friable; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; common fine roots; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary (0 to 8 inches thick).
Bw1--6 to 18 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy fine sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions; common fine roots; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--18 to 38 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sand; single grain; very friable; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions; few fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 19 to 36 inches.)
2Bg--38 to 50 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam; weak medium platy structure; friable; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; few fine roots; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary (8 to 30 inches thick).
2Cg1--50 to 70 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam; massive; friable; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
2Cg2--70 to 80 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam; massive; friable; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) Fe concentrations and common coarse faint gray (5Y 5/1) Fe depletions; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 8 miles south of Virginia; about 1000 feet south and 550 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 27 T. 57 N., R. 17 W. USGS Gilbert, Minnesota Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 23 minutes 51 seconds N. and longitude 92 degrees 29 minutes and 35 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The sandy mantle contains 0 to 5 percent rock fragments, that are mostly less than 5 millimeters in diameter. Depth to carbonates is greater than 60 inches. Depth to loamy sediments is 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, sandy loam or loamy very fine sand. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, fine sand, sand or coarse sand. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, fine sand, sand or coarse sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2Bg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam or very fine sandy loam. Thin subhorizons or strata of fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand or loam commonly occur. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The 2Cg horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam or very fine sandy loam. Thin strata or subhorizons of loamy very fine sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam or loam commonly occur. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: No other series are in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vasso soils are on convex to linear surfaces of glacial lake plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. They formed in outwash, eolian or glaciolacustrine sandy materials and underlying glaciolacustrine loamy sediments. Mean annual air temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 28 inches. The frost-free period is 95 to 125 days. Elevation above sea level is 1250 to 1400 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barber, Kapla, Keenan, Wabuse, and Westoo series. Moderately well drained Keenan poorly drained Wabuse, and very poorly drained Kapla soils form a hydrosequence with Vasso soils. Somewhat poorly drained Barber, and moderately well drained Westoo do not have loamy material in the lower part of the series control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderate. Vasso soils have seasonal high saturation at a depth of 1.5 feet at some time from April through June and October through November in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are used for hayland or pastureland. Principal trees are aspen, balsam fir, white spruce, black spruce and jack pine. Native vegetation is mixed coniferous and deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-88. Northeastern Minnesota, Small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 6 inches (A and E horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 38 to 50 inches (2Bg horizon).