LOCATION MARLETTE MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Oxyaquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Marlette fine sandy loam - on a 4 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 1 percent fine gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
B/E--9 to 18 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay loam (Bt); common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds; occupies about 60 percent of the horizon completely surrounded by or penetrated by tongues of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam (E); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Bt--18 to 34 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm common faint dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds; about 1 percent fine gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 28 inches thick)
BC--34 to 38 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; about 2 percent fine gravel; few fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C--38 to 80 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam; massive; firm; about 2 percent fine gravel; few fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Mason County, Michigan; about 2 miles southeast of the village of Custer; 1,600 feet south and 1,650 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 28, T. 18 N., R. 16 W., Custer Township; USGS Custer, Michigan 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle, lat. 43 degrees, 55 minutes, 42.6 seconds N. and 86 degrees, 13 minutes, 30.8 seconds W., NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 25 to greater than 60 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 25 to 50 inches. The reaction in the solum ranges from moderately acid to neutral in the upper part and neutral to moderately alkaline in the lower part. Rock fragments, dominantly gravel, ranges from 1 to 10 percent throughout.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 3. The value dry is 6. Some pedons have an A horizon, 1 to 4 inches thick, that has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. The A horizon is loam, silt loam, clay loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
The E horizon is present as a separate horizon in some pedons. It has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 4.
The E part of B/E horizon has color and textural characteristics of the E horizon. It is loam, silt loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. The B part of the B/E horizon has colors and textures similar to those fo the Bt horizon. Some pedons have E/B horizons from 4 to 6 inches thick. The amount of E material present in the B/E or E/B horizon ranges from 15 to as much as 75 percent.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 25 to 35 percent. Some pedons have Bk horizons with colors and textures similar to those of the Bt horizon.
The BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam or clay loam. Some pedons do not have a BC horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cassopolis soils. Cassopolis soils have carbonates below 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Marlette soils typically occur on till plains, ground and end moraines of Wisconsinan age, with nearly level to very steep topography. The slope ranges from [2] to 12 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 38 inches, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 46 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Guelph, Capac, Owosso, Metea, and Parkhill soils. The somewhat poorly drained Capac and the poorly drained Parkhill soils are in a drainage sequence with Marlette soils. Owosso and Metea soils are associated soils with sand to sandy loam upper horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The seasonal high water table at a depth of 2.0 to 6.0 feet below the surface from October to May. Potential surface runoff is medium or high depending upon slope. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped to corn, beans, wheat, and grass-legume hay. A small part, usually the steeper areas, is in pasture or hardwood forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Michigan. Soils of this series are of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanilac County, Michigan, 1955.
REMARKS: The type location was re-examined and determined to be Oxyaquic. This revision updates the classification from fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Haplic Glossudalfs to the present classification. The well drained phase of the series is no longer within the series concept. The Filer series is the well drained phase.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 9 inches (Ap horizon); Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 34 (B part of B/E horizon and Bt
horizons);
Udic feature - udic moisture regime;
Glossic horizon - the zone from 9 to 18 inches (B/E horizon); tongues of
Oxyaquic subgroup - soil is saturated with water in one or more layers within
40 inches of the mineral soil surface for 1 month or more per year in 6 or more out of 10 years.