LOCATION ZEBA MI+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Argic Endoaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Zeba sandy loam, on a 2 percent slope. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E--2 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common roots; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bs--5 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common roots; few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; about 5 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
E'--13 to 21 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few roots; many medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; about 5 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
B/E--21 to 33 inches; about 85 percent reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) sandy loam (Bt); common pores; few clay flows on faces of peds; about 15 percent reddish gray (5YR 5/2) loamy sand (E); weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; about 5 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2R--33 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Baraga County, Michigan; about 1 mile southeast of Aura; located about 1,450 feet north and 150 feet east of the southwest corner of section 31, T. 52 N., R. 31 W.; USGS Aura topographic quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 51 minutes 21 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 17 minutes 52 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic contact with sandstone ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent throughout the series control section. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 20 percent in the A, E, and Bs horizon and from 0 to 10 in the E', E/B, and B/E horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. The E horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. The Ap, A, and E horizons are sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand or the cobbly analogues of these textures.
The Bs horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. The Bs horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or the cobbly analogues of these textures.
The E/B horizons occur as separate E and Bt horizons or in combination. The E part has chroma of 2 or 3. The E part is loamy sand, fine sandy loam or sandy loam. The B part has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Some pedons have a C horizon with hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 4. The C horizon is sandy loam.
Some pedons have a Cr horizon above the lithic contact. Thickness ranges from 2 to 10 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Assinins, Gaastra and Gastrow series and the closely related Belding, Charlevoix, Coral, Richter, Robago and Worchester soils. None of these soils have a lithic contact within a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zeba soils are on nearly level to depressional areas on benches underlain by sandstone along Lake Superior shorelines. They formed in glacial drift. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 26 to 33 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the moderately well drained Yalmer and Munising soils, the somewhat poorly drained Assinins and Skanee soils, the well drained Onota soils, the somewhat excessively drained Deerton soils, and the poorly drained Gay soils. The Deerton, Onota, Yalmer, and Munising soils are on surrounding uplands, the Assinins and Skanee soils are on similar landscape positions and the Gay soils are in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is negligible to low. Permeability is moderate. Internal drainage is impeded by the sandstone.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forests of red maple, balsam fir, bigtooth aspen, yellow birch, and sugar maple. A few areas are in hay and pastureland.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western and Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baraga County, Michigan, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 5 inches (A and E horizons); albic horizon - the zone from 2 to 5 inches; spodic horizon - the zone from 5 to 13 inches (Bs horizon); glossic horizon - the zone from 21 to 30 inches (B/E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 21 to 33 inches (B/E horizon).