LOCATION CLARKSBURG PA+MD OH WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Fragiudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Clarksburg silt loam, on a 5 percent northeast facing slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
BE--9 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; 5 percent subangular channers; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--12 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable to firm, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; many clay films on faces of peds and along pores; 5 percent subangular channers; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--23 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many clay films on faces of peds and along pores; common medium prominent black (7.5YR 2.5/1) manganese coatings, common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds; 5 percent subangular channers; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Btx--28 to 48 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) prism faces; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate thick and medium platy and fine subangular blocky; very firm, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; brittle; common clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent black (10YR 2/1) manganese coatings; many medium prominent gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions and many medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds; 10 percent subangular channers; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
BC--48 to 65 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) gravelly silty clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure; firm, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions on faces of peds; 20 percent subrounded gravel; moderately acid; gradual, wavy boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick.)
C--65 to 110 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam; massive; firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions and many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds; 5 percent subrounded gravel; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; Hempfield Township, 1/2 mile south of Hannastown on Route T844 and 100 feet west of culvert. Latrobe, PA topographic quadrangle; Latitude 40 degrees, 20 minutes, 30 seconds N. and Longitude 79 minutes, 29 minutes, 16 seconds W. NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 70 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to the fragipan ranges from 20 to 36 inches. Rock fragments of sandstone, chert, and limestone, up to 3 inches long, range from 0 to 25 percent in the horizons above the fragipan, from 5 to 30 percent in the fragipan, and from 5 to 80 percent in the C horizon. Unlimed reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid. Illite is the most common clay mineral with appreciable amounts of kaolinite, vermiculite, montmorillonite, and interstratified clays.
The Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Undisturbed pedons have a thin very dark brown silt loam A horizon underlain by a 2- to 5-inch brown, strong brown, or yellowish brown E horizon.
The BE and Bt horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is silty clay loam, silt loam, loam, or clay loam with about 22 to 35 percent clay, 45 to 65 percent silt, and 10 to 30 percent sand. The depth to redoximorphic depletions with chroma of 2 or less ranges from 20 to 32 inches. Clay films range from thick patchy to thin continuous on ped faces and in pores.
The Bx horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6, with gray to strong brown prism faces, reddish brown to yellowish brown ped faces and with black, gray, yellowish brown or strong brown redoximorphic features. Texture is silty clay loam, clay loam, silt loam or loam.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 8 with gray, brown, or yellowish brown redoximorphic features. Texture ranges from silt loam to clay.
COMPETING SERIES: Homewood is the only series in this family. They formed in weathered Illinoian glacial till and in a thin mantle of loess in some areas on till plains. Some pedons extend into residuum parent materials. Rock fragments are mostly gravel-sized subrounded fragments of sandstone and shale with minor amounts of limestone and crystalline rocks with thin flat fragments of sandstone in the lower part of many pedons.
The Albrights, Bedford, Buchanan, Cambridge, Comly, Ernest , Gatton, Hustontown, Murrill, Readington, Titusville, Turbotville, Wooster, Watson soils are in a related family. The Albrights and Turbotville soils have 2 chroma mottles in the top 10 inches of the argillic horizon. Bedford, Buchanan, Ernest, Titusville, and Watson soils have less than 35 percent base saturation. In addition, Bedford soils have an argillic horizon with less than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand and Buchanan soils have more sand and rock fragments throughout the solum. Cambridge soils do not have an argillic horizon above the fragipan. Comly and Gatton soils have rock fragments dominantly from shale and sandstone and shale, respectively. Hustontown and Readington soils have hue of 5YR or redder in the Bt horizon. Murrill soils do not have a fragipan. Wooster soils have higher sand content, 35 to 50 percent, in the horizons below two feet.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Clarksburg soils are on nearly level to moderately steep concave slopes with gradients ranging from 0 to 25 percent. The soils developed in a regolith of colluvium, glacial till, or residual material weathered from limestone, calcareous and noncalcareous shale, and sandstone. The climate is temperate and humid. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 50 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 50 to 57 degrees F. The growing season ranges from 140 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Culleoka, Dormont, Duffield, Edom, Faywood, Frankstown, Frederick, Guernsey, Hagerstown, Library, Lowell, Millheim, Murrill, Penlaw, Thorndale, Washington, and Westmoreland soils are landscape associates. The Culleoka, Duffield, Edom, Faywood, Frankstown, Frederick, Hagerstown, Lowell, Millheim, Murrill, Washington, and Westmoreland soils are all well drained and do not have fragipans. Also the Edom, Faywood, Frederick, Hagerstown and Lowell soils have more than 35 percent clay. Guernsey and Library soils have low chroma redoximorphic features in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon, do not have fragipans and have more than 35 percent clay. Dormont soils do not have fragipans. Penlaw soils are somewhat poorly drained, formed in colluvium derived primarily from limestone but with some shale and sandstone. Thorndale soils are very deep, poorly drained, formed in medium textured colluvium derived from limestone, calcareous shale, and siltstone.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low to moderately high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Approximately 70 percent of the land is cleared and used for general farm crops or pasture. Wooded areas are in mixed hardwoods of oaks, hickory, and locust.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio. MLRA's 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 130, 147 and 148. The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1942.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 12 inches (Ap and BA horizons).
b. Argillic horizon - the zone from 12 to 28 inches (Bt horizon).
c. Fragipan - the zone from 28 to 48 inches (Bx horizon).
2007 Pedon description updated. Prior revision 8/2002 - AWD-WRK-ART
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to Pennsylvania pedon # S62 64 10 for characterization data on the type location.