LOCATION MUSCATATUCK        IN

MUSCATATUCK SERIES

The Muscatatuck series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loess, pedisediment, glacial drift and the underlying residuum from limestone. These soils are on dissected till plains. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1067 mm (42 inches) and mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C (55 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Fragiaquic Paleudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Muscatatuck silt loam on a 4 percent convex slope in a walnut agroforesty plantation. Elevation is 231 meters (760 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) crushed, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; silt loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; friable; many very fine to medium roots throughout; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm or [5 to 12 inches])

Bt1--20 to 46 cm (8 to 18 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine to medium roots throughout; many distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and few distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) organoargillans lining root channels and pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--46 to 64 cm (18 to 25 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine and fine roots throughout; common distinct brown (10YR 5/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few fine distinct irregular pale brown (10YR 6/3) iron depletions and fine faint irregular yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 25 to 66 cm or [10 to 26 inches])

2Btx/Bt--64 to 91 cm (25 to 36 inches); 60 percent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) silt loam (2Btx); weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very firm; brittle; 40 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam (Bt); weak fine subangular blocky; friable; very fine and fine roots between peds; many distinct brown (10YR 5/3) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and common distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay films on faces of peds and pore linings; few fine prominent spherical moderately cemented black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions in the matrix; common fine distinct irregular light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions and few fine distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (15 to 64 cm or [6 to 25 inches])

2Bt3--91 to 124 cm (36 to 49 inches); 70 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay loam and 30 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; firm; many very fine roots between peds; many distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and common brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds and pore linings; few prominent black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; few fine distinct spherical moderately cemented iron-manganese concretions in the matrix; few fine distinct irregular light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions and few fine distinct irregular brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (18 to 51 cm or [7 to 20 inches])

3Bt4--124 to 165 cm (49 to 65 inches); 80 percent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam and 20 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; firm; many distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), few distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds and pore linings; few distinct black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; few fine prominent spherical strongly cemented black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions in the matrix; few fine distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 5 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

3Bt5--165 to 226 cm (65 to 89 inches); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) and few distinct brown (7.5YR 5/3) and (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese stains on faces of peds and lining pores; few fine prominent spherical moderately cemented black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions in the matrix; 8 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

3Bt6--226 to 277 cm (89 to 109 inches); 60 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and 40 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and few distinct brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; very strongly acid.(Combined thickness of the 3Bt horizon is 102 to more than 183 cm or [40 to more than 72 inches])

TYPE LOCATION: Jennings County, Indiana; about 1 mile west of Butlerville; 950 feet south and 2,000 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 21, T. 7 N., R. 9 E.; USGS Butlerville, Indiana topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 02 minutes 29 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 32 minutes 07 seconds W., NAD 27, (UTM Zone 16, 626762 easting and 4322404 northing, NAD 83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: More than 203 cm (80 inches)
Depth to a layer with fragic soil properties: 51 to 91 cm (20 to 36 inches)
Thickness of the loess: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to a lithic contact: More than 203 cm (80 inches)

Ap horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

A horizon (where present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

2Btx/Bt horizon
2Btx part
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: silt loam or loam and less commonly their gravelly analogues
Clay content: 20 to 26 percent
Sand content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragment: 0 to 20 percent, mainly rounded gravel of mixed lithology
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

Bt part
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Sand content: 5 to 20 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

2Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: silty clay loam or clay loam, and less commonly silt loam or loam and their gravelly analogues
Clay content: 22 to 38 percent
Sand content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 20 percent, mainly rounded gravel of mixed lithology
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

3Bt horizon
Hue: Dominantly 5YR or 7.5YR or less commonly 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam, and less commonly silt loam or loam and their gravelly analogues
Clay content: 22 to 38 percent
Sand content: 10 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 5 to 25 percent, mainly gravel of mixed lithology
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

4Bt horizon (where present)
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: silty clay or clay
Clay content: 40 to 73 percent
Sand content: 2 to 20 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent, mainly gravel and channers of chert and limestone
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cornwall and Sowcoon series. Cornwall soils do not have horizons formed in glacial drift and the rock fragments are chert. Sowcoon soils do not have horizons formed in glacial drift and have redoximorphic depletions with a chroma of 2 or less in the upper part of the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Muscatatuck soils are on summits, shoulders, and backslopes of dissected till plains and in sinkholes. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Muscatatuck soils formed in 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches) of loess over pedisediment, glacial drift and the underlying residuum from limestone. The till is considered to be from the Illinoian or pre-Illinioian stage. Indurated limestone bedrock is typically within a depth of 12 to 15 feet. The mean annual temperature ranges from 11 to 14 degrees C (51 to 57 degrees F), and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 1016 to 1168 mm (40 to 46 inches). Frost free period is 170 to 200 days. Elevation ranges from 107 meters (350 feet) to 259 meters (850 feet).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Caneyville, Cincinnati, Grayford, Nabb and Ryker soils. The moderately deep, fine Caneyville soils are typically on backslopes of hills underlain with limestone. The well drained Cincinnati and the moderately well drained Nabb soils are on slightly higher lying shoulders and backslopes of till plains. The deep, well drained Grayford and very deep, well drained Ryker soils are generally on similar landform positions as Muscatatuck soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface water runoff is low or moderate. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers/s) in the upper part of the solum and low to moderately high (0.07 to 1.41 micrometers/s) in the lower part. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the solum and slow or very slow in the lower part.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of nearly level and gently sloping. Muscatatuck soils are used for growing corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. The steeper slopes generally are in pasture or forest. Native vegetation is deciduous mixed hardwoods.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The series is of small extent in MLRA 114A.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES PROPOSED: Jennings County, Indiana, 2005. The name is from a major river in Jennings County, Indiana.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches) (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon - 20 to 277 cm (8 to 109 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, 2Btx/Bt, 2Bt1, 3Bt2, 3Bt3, 3Bt4 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data for the typical pedon, S02IN079-001, is available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE and Purdue University Laboratory data, JF7905 and JF7810

A terrace phase is recognized.

The representative component and horizon data is in DMU# 498308.