LOCATION MEATON TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Meaton silt loam--pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; few fine faint dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron accumulations in root channels; few light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 12 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; few fine faint dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron accumulations in root channels; common light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 18 inches thick)
Bt--12 to 22 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; sticky, plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron accumulations; common light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; common distinct clay films; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Btg1--22 to 31 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; sticky, plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; common fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron accumulations; common gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions mainly on ped faces; common distinct clay films; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Btg2--31 to 37 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots; very few fine pores; common medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; few fine soft rounded iron-manganese concretions; common distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films; common dark gray (10YR 4/1) crawfish krotovina; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Btg3--37 to 63 inches; light gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots; very few fine pores; few medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron accumulations; few small pressure faces; few distinct clay films; few pitted calcium carbonate concretions; few very dark gray (10YR 3/1) krotovinas; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Btg4--63 to 76 inches; light gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots; common greenish gray (5GY 6/1) iron depletions; few medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron accumulations; few distinct clay films; few pitted calcium carbonate concretions; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Btg5--76 to 80 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron accumulations; few distinct clay films; few pitted calcium carbonate concretions; few iron-manganese stains and concentrations; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 73 and 124 southwest of Hampshire; 7.0 miles east on Texas Highway 73; 3.5 miles south on Big Hill Road; 2 miles east on Needmore Road; 2.75 miles east on ranch road to ranch headquarters; 1.3 miles south on ranch road; 200 feet east in rangeland. (Latitude 29N 44 16; Longitude 94W 09 33)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. The upper 20 inches of the Bt has 25 to 34 percent weighted average clay. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 25 inches thick. Depth to calcium carbonate concretions is more than 24 inches. These soils have aquic conditions in most years.
The A horizon has colors with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of yellow and brown range from few to many. Texture is loam or silt loam. Reaction is moderately acid or neutral. SAR ranges from 2 to 6.
The Bt horizon has colors with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. Iron depletions in shades of gray range from few to many. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline. SAR ranges from 4 to 13.
The Btg1, Btg2, Btg3, and Btg4 horizons have color with hue 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. Iron depletions in shades of gray range from few to common. Texture is clay loam or silty clay loam. Calcium carbonate concretions range from few to common. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. SAR ranges from 4 to 13.
The Btg5 horizon has color with hue 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Iron accumulations in shades of red, yellow, and brown range from few to many. Iron depletions in shades of gray range from few to common. Texture is clay or silty clay. Calcium carbonate concretions range from few to common. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. SAR ranges from 4 to 13.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family. Closely similar soils include Bernard, Labelle, Morey, and Viterbo. Morey soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section and have calcic horizons. Bernard and Labelle soils have a fine particle-size control section. Viterbo soils have a ochric epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Meaton soils are on broad, nearly level uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent but are mainly less than 0.2 percent. These soils formed in silty and clayey sediments of the Pleistocene age Beaumont Formation. These soils are on the Coast Prairie east of the Trinity River. Mean annual rainfall is 50 to 60 inches. Mean annual temperature is 70 to 72 degrees F. Frost free days range from 250 to 270. Elevation ranges from 3 to 10 feet above sea level. Thornthwaite P-E index ranges from 68 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Labelle, Morey, and Viterbo soils and also Franeau, Spindletop, and Levac soils. Labelle and Morey soils are higher in the landscape. Viterbo soils are on about the same or are slightly lower in the landscape. Franeau soils are clayey throughout and are lower in the landscape. Levac and Spindletop soils are mapped in a complex with Meaton soils. Levac and Spindletop soils have a fine particle-size control section and are on the same position or slightly higher in the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Meaton soils are somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is low. In wet seasons, these soils are saturated from 0 to 18 inches for periods of 1 to 3 months. These soils have aquic conditions in most years. These soils are occasionally flooded by storm tides.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for pasture or rice production. Some areas are used for rangeland. Native grasses include species of andropogon, paspalum, and panicum
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairie (MLRA 150A) of southeast Texas east of the Trinity River and possibly Louisiana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Texas; 1996
REMARKS: The Meaton soils were formerly included with the Morey series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognizedin this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 22 inches (A1, A2, and Bt horizon).
Argillic horizon - 12 to 80 inches (Bt, Btg1, Btg2, Btg3, Btg4, and Btg5 horizons).
Aquic features - redoximorphic features throughout the pedon and aquic conditions in most years.
SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX1004