LOCATION CRETE              NE+KS

CRETE SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Pachic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Crete silt loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 25 centimeters (5 to 10 inches) thick)

A--15 to 36 centimeters (6 to 14 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; hard, friable; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 centimeters (4 to 10 inches) thick)

BA--36 to 48 centimeters (14 to 19 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; faint gray coatings on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches) thick)

Bt1--48 to 71 centimeters (19 to 28 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine soft dark brown accumulations (iron and manganese oxide); slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--71 to 89 centimeters (28 to 35 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine dark brown accumulations (iron and manganese oxide); few fine soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizon is 23 to 66 centimeters (9 to 26 inches)

BC--89 to 107 centimeters (35 to 42 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm; many small soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches) thick)

C--107 to 152 centimeters (42 to 60 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silty clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; few faint gray (10YR 6/1) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron stains in the matrix; massive; slightly hard, firm; few soft masses of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Saline County, Nebraska; about 5.5 miles east and 1.5 miles north of Dorchester; 610 meters (2000 feet) south and 30 meters (100 feet) west of the northeast corner, sec. 18, T. 8 N., R. 4 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

The thickness of the solum: 61 to 127 centimeters (24 to 50 inches)
The mollic epipedon: 51 to 91 centimeters (20 to 36 inches) in thickness
This includes the A horizon and the upper part of the B horizon.
Depth to carbonates: 64 to 102 centimeters (25 to 40 inches), but some pedons lack carbonates.

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: strongly or moderately acid.

Bt horizon (Upper Portion):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 and 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay
Clay content: 45 to 52 percent clay
Reaction: moderately acid through slightly alkaline.

Bt horizon (Lower Portion):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 37 to 52 percent clay
Reaction: moderately acid through slightly alkaline.

BC (if it occurs) and C horizons:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Values: 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay or silty clay loam, C horizon, silty clay loam or silt loam redoximorphic concentrations: Hue; 10YR or 7.5YR, value; 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, chroma; 1 to 8
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Detroit, Lane, Onita, Pinespring, Rago, Smolan and Sponiker series.
The Detroit soils contain less clay in the argillic horizons and formed in alluvium.
Lane soils have carbonates higher in the profile.
Onita soils formed in alluvium and have a mean annual temperature of less than 50 degrees F.
Pinespring soils are drier in the moisture control section during May and June.
Rago soils contain free carbonates higher in the profile, are in a drier climate, and the lower part of the profile is a buried paleosol.
Smolan soils have hues redder than 10YR in the lower part of the Bt.
Sponiker soils are dry in the moisture control section during May and June and formed in alluvium derived from basalt and pyroclastics.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loess
Landform: uplands and stream terraces
Slope: 0 to 1 percent in the western part of the series range, 0 to 11 percent in the eastern range, typically convex
Mean annual temperature: 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 56 to 86 centimeters (22 to 34 inches)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Butler, Fillmore, Hall, Hastings, Holdrege, and Wymore soils.
Butler soils are on flat or slightly concave uplands and have an abrupt boundary between the A and B horizon.
Fillmore soils have an albic horizon, are somewhat poorly drained and are in depressions.
Hall soils are fine-silty and are on nearly level to gently sloping terraces and uplands.
Hastings, Holdrege, and Wymore soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping uplands.
Holdrege soils have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches thick and have less clay in the argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Moderately well drained
Runoff: low or medium runoff
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: low

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped.
The main dryland crops are sorghum and wheat.
The main irrigated crops are corn, sorghum, and alfalfa.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Nebraska and adjoining parts of north-central Kansas. Crete soils are extensive.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Adams County, Nebraska, 1923.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon: Mollic epipedon: 0 to 71 centimeters (0 to28 inches) (the Ap, A, BA, and Bt1 horizon)
Argillic horizon: 48 to 89 centimeters (19 to 35 inches) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon).

Severely eroded Crete soils no longer classify as Mollisols and need to be correlated to a new series.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Data from pedons S60NE-18-1, S55NE-30-1, S55NE-30-2, S55NE-76-1 and S55NE-76-2 are published in Nebraska Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 5.

10/17/05 JCR
Changed formatting to semi tabular format. Set range of clay content in lower Bt to 37 based on NSSL lab data. Updated competing series. Changed permeability to Saturated Hydraulic conductivity.