LOCATION ACQUANGO MDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Acquango sand on an 8 percent slope on a barrier island dune. (colors are for moist soil)
A-- 0 to 3 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) sand; single grain; loose; few very fine and fine roots; moderately acid; very slightly saline; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
C1-- 3 to 20 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sand; single grain; loose; common 1/32 to 1/16 inch striations of black (N 2/) sand; moderately acid; very slightly saline; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick).
C2-- 20 to 26 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sand; single grain; loose; slightly acid; nonsaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick).
C3-- 26 to 72 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sand; single grain; loose; neutral; nonsaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Worcester County, Maryland; approximately 3 miles south of the Assateague Island entrance on the park road, 500 feet east of the road on a vegetated dune. 38 degrees, 10 minutes, 0 seconds N Latitude, 75 degrees, 9 minutes, 0 seconds W Longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the A and C horizons is greater than 72 inches. Fine gravels range from 0 to 5 percent in the substratum. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to mildly alkaline. Salinity ranges from nonsaline to slightly saline throughout the soil profile. Shell fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 8, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is sand, coarse sand, or fine sand.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 2 through 8, and chroma of 2 through 6. It is sand, coarse sand, or fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abscota, Biltmore, Caesar, Chute, Dabney, Hodge, Oakville, Penwood, Perks, Pinegrove, Plainfield, Sarpy, Spessaro, Suncock, Tyner, Westport, and Windsor soils in the same family. Acquango soils differ from all these soils in being very slightly to moderately saline within the profile; and in being formed by the natural migration of barrier islands.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Acquango soils are located on nearly level to steep dunes on mid-Atlantic coastal barrier islands. The slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in sandy aeolian and marine sediments. Mean annual temperature ranges from 52 to 58 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 48 inches. Elevations are generally below 25 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Broadkill, Matunuck, Pawcatuck, Transquaking, and Westbrook soils. Broadkill and Matunuck are mineral soils which occur in adjacent or back bay tidal marshes. Pawcatuck, Transquaking, and Westbrook soils are organic soils which occur in adjacent or back bay tidal marshes. All of these soils are flooded daily by tidal action.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Runoff is very slow to slow. Permeability is very rapid. Flooding is occasional for very brief periods, mainly during coastal storm events.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas are cleared and managed to maintain an adequate dune line for protection and for recreational purposes. Most areas are in a natural vegetated condition for wildlife. Native vegetation includes American beachgrass, sea rocket, seaside goldenrod, bayberry, salt myrtle, and shore juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The mid-Atlantic shoreline and coastal barrier islands of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. This series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Worcester County, Maryland, 1995.
REMARKS: This soil was formerly included in the Coastal Beaches miscellaneous area.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 3 inches.
b. Mixed mineralogy: X-ray diffraction analyses indicate greater than 10 percent weatherable minerals such as amphiboles, pyroxenes, and feldspars. Sample number: S92MD047-012/3.