LOCATION EBBERT ILEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Argiaquic Argialbolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ebbert silt loam - nearly level in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 182 meters (597 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; few medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A--18 to 33 cm (7 to 13 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; few medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 20 to 41 cm (8 to l6 inches).]
E--33 to 60 cm (13 to 22 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak medium platy structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; friable; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.[ 10 to 41 cm (4 to l6 inches) thick]
Btg1--60 to 76 cm (22 to 30 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; firm; many distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg2--76 to 102 cm (30 to 40 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; firm; common distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg3--102 to 122 cm (40 to 48 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay films on faces of peds; few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 41 to 102 cm (16 to 40 inches).]
2Cg--122 to 152 cm (48 to 60 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam; massive; very firm; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; about 10 percent sand; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Effingham County, Illinois; about 1 mile southeast of Montrose; 600 feet north and 50 feet west of southeast corner of sec. 1, T. 8 N., R. 7 E.; USGS Woodbury, Illinois topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees, 9 minutes, 50.3 seconds North and longitude 88 degrees, 21 minutes, 38.8 seconds West.; UTM Zone 16S 0382435E and 4335645N; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 102 to more than 152 cm (40 to more than 60 inches) in thickness. Loess thickness is greater than 102 cm (40 inches). The material beneath the loess contains more sand than the loess. The mollic epipedon is 25 to 46 cm (10 to 18 inches) in thickness and includes the upper part of the argillic horizon in some pedons. The depth to the top of the argillic horizon is 31 to 61 cm (12 to 24 inches). The particle size control section averages between 27 and 35 percent clay. Depth to carbonates is greater than 152 cm (60 inches).
The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 (4 or 5 dry), and chroma of 1 or 2. It commonly is silt loam, but in some pedons it is silty clay loam. The A horizon commonly is strongly acid to slightly acid, but is neutral in some pedons that have been limed.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 (6 or 7 dry), and chroma of 1 or 2. It typically has redoximorphic features. It is strongly acid or moderately acid. Some pedons have a BE or B/E horizon.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or is neutral. The upper part has value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1. Subhorizons with color value of 3 are less than 6 inches thick. Reaction in the upper part ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The lower part has value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 0 to 2. Reaction in the lower part ranges from very strongly acid to neutral. Distinct or prominent redox accumulations are common throughout the horizon. Typically it is silty clay loam but some pedons are silt loam.
Some pedons have a BC horizon.
The 2Cg or Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or is neutral; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 0 to 2. It is silty clay loam, silt loam, clay loam, or loam and is moderately acid to neutral. Some pedons have a paleosol beneath the solum or beneath a 2Cg or Cg horizon. The paleosol is typically silty clay loam and the color includes value of 3.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Corley, Edgington, Knight, Marissa, Normal, Speed, Thorp, and Vesser series. Corley soils have, in the upper part of the argillic horizon, subhorizons more than 6 inches thick with color value of 3 or less. Edgington and Knight soils are more than 61 cm (24 inches) to the top of the Bt horizon. Marissa soils are less acid and contain carbonates within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches). Normal soils have MAAT that is 8 to 12 degrees C (46 to 54 degrees F) and do not have matrix color of chroma 2 or less below the E horizon within the series control section. Speed soils are greater than 61 cm (24 inches) to the top of the argillic horizon. Thorp soils have 2B horizons formed in stratified outwash and therefore contain more sand in the lower part of the solum. Vesser soils commonly have thicker E horizons and contain between 10 and 20 percent sand throughout the solum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ebbert soils are in depressions on broad loess covered Illinoian till plains. Slopes typically are less than 1 percent, but range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in loess and the underlying drift. They are underlain at depths of 102 to about 165 cm (40 to about 65 inches) by silty or loamy sediments or a buried Sangamon paleosol formed in loamy sediments or in Illinoian till. Mean annual temperature ranges from 12 to 14 degrees C (53 to 57 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation ranges from 965 to 1143 mm (38 to 45 inches).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Cisne and Newberry soils and the Cowden, Hoyleton, and Oconee soils. All these soils lack a mollic epipedon and are on higher parts of the till plain rather than in depressions. All except Newberry average more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Newberry soils commonly are adjacent to Ebbert soils.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained or very poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low to moderately high (0.42 to 4.23 micrometers per second). Permeability is slow or moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are drained and used for cropland. Corn, soybeans, and small grain are the principal crops. Native vegetation is hydrophytic grasses and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Illinois. MLRA's 108 and 113. Ebbert soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Effingham County, Illinois, 1926.
REMARKS: Ebbert soils formed in Wisconsinan age Peoria loess. The underlying silty or loamy sediments may be Roxana silts or "gritty loess". The Illinoian till typically contains a Sangamon paleosol.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 13 inches (Ap and A horizons); albic horizon - the zone from approximately 13 to 22 inches (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 22 to 48 inches (Btg1, Btg2, and Btg3 horizons); argiaquic feature - lack of abrupt textural change between the E and Btg horizons; aquic moisture regime.