LOCATION FORTRESS NY NJTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Aquic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Fortress sand, in a bay berry and brush cover area on a flat plain of 1 percent slope. (Colors are moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
A-- 0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sand; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick.)
Bw-- 8 to 12 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) stratified sand; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots throughout; few very fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick.)
C1-- 12 to 33 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) stratified sand; massive; very friable; many fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
C2-- 33 to 48 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) stratified sand; massive; very friable; few fine faint gray (5Y 6/1) iron depletions and common fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
C3-- 48 to 65 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) stratified sand; massive; very friable; common medium faint gray (5Y 6/1) iron depletions and prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, New York; US Naval Air Station-Floyd Bennett Field-Gateway National Recreation Area, 5,000 feet North of Police Heliport; USGS Coney Island, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 40 degrees, 36 minutes, 15.3 seconds N. and Longitude 73 degrees, 53 minutes, 8.7 seconds W., NAD 1983.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the fill materials ranges from 40 to 80 inches. The anthrotransported material may be dredged, outwash, or eolian materials. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 20 percent. Some pedons contain sea shell fragments. Human artifact fragments range from 0 to 10 percent. Soil textures include loamy fine sand or coarser. Pockets of clay or peat may be present. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. Typically weak very fine granular, with low organic matter accumulations. A few pedons show weak very fine subangular blocky structure. Consistence is very friable.
The E horizon, if present, has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 1 through 4. It is typically weak very fine subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 6. It is typically weak very fine subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 8, and chroma of 1 through 3. This horizon is typically single grained or massive. Consistence is very friable.
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Algansee,
Altmar,
Birchwood,
Brems,
Brockatonorton,
Deerfield,
Elnora,
Meckling (T),
Morocco,
Ottokee,
Partridge,
Tedrow, and
Zaborosky soils in the same family. Algansee, Partridge, and Tedrow soils have water tables within 20 inches. Ottokee and Tedrow soils contain free
carbonates. Altmar and Brems soils have a B horizon with 10YR or redder colors. Birchwood soils have a densic substratum within 38 inches. Brockatonorton and Zaborosky soils formed in undisturbed eolian sediments. Deerfield soils contain fragments dominated by granite, gneiss, and quartzite. Elnora soils are more acidic in the B horizon. Meckling (T) soils are calcareous throughout. Morocco soils have iron depletions at a depth of 15 inches from the soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fortress soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping modified landforms. These soils formed in anthropotransported soil material from eolian sand, outwash, or dredging activities along coastal waterways, lakes and rivers, in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 50 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barren (T), Bigapple (T), Hooksan, Jamaica (T), Breeze (T), and Verazano (T). Barren (T) and Jamaica (T) soils occur in lower landscape positions and have water tables at shallower depths. Bigapple (T) soils occur in higher landscape positions. Breeze (T) soils average more than 10 percent (by volume) human artifacts throughout. Verazano (T) soils have a contrasting particle size class within the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is very low. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are used for recreation, beach cottages, and wildlife. Native vegetation consists of beach grasses, poison ivy, beach plum, multiflora rose, phragmites, milkweed, bayberry, and green briar.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are on modified landscapes in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. MLRA 144A, 149A, and 149B. The soils of this series are of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES PROPOSED: Kings County, New York; 2001.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - 0 to 8 inches thick.
2) Particle size class - sandy, average less than 35 percent (by volume) coarse fragments.
3) The classification of this series is provisional until new Taxonomic classifications are developed for Anthropogenic soils.