LOCATION MOON INEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, mesic Arenic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Moon loamy sand, on a 3 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 731 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; many medium and common fine and very fine roots throughout; 5 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
E1--9 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium roots throughout; 9 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
E2--17 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium roots throughout; common medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; 12 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizon is 11 to 34 inches.)
2Bt1--23 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium roots between peds; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; 14 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--31 to 35 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium roots between peds; many distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; few prominent black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron and manganese oxide accumulation; common fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 6 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt3--35 to 45 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few medium roots between peds; many distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 6 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 10 to 40 inches.)
2BCtk--45 to 57 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; few medium roots between peds; common faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of carbonate on vertical faces of peds; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; many medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 7 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
2C--57 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; massive; firm; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 8 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Pulaski County, Indiana; about 4.5 miles south of Monterey; 1,912 feet east and 1,595 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 36, T. 31 N., R. 1 W.; U.S.G.S. Kewanna, IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 5 minutes 39.4 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 28 minutes 41.3 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 543826 easting and 4549360 northing, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 40 to 60 inches
Depth to carbonates: 40 to 60 inches
Depth to redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less: 30 to 40 inches
Thickness of the sandy material: 20 to 40 inches
Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, or fine sand
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand, or sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
2Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Redoximorphic features: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Clay content: 15 to 34 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
2BCtk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Redoximorphic features: hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 to 8
Redoximorphic features: hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 2 to 8
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beech, Blakeslee, Cadmus, Cazenovia, El Dara, Funkstown, Glenhall, Hilton, Kidami, Lima, Miami, Mt. Zion (T), Octagon, Pevely, Rainsville, Rawson, Richland, Shawtown, Summitville, Vaughnsville, and Wapahani series. All of these soils have textures finer than loamy fine sand in the upper part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moon soils formed in 20 to 40 inches of wind or water laid sandy material and the underlying loamy till and are on moraines and till plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 53 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 42 inches, frost-free period ranges from 150 to 180 days, and elevation ranges from 600 to 1,530 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aubbeenaubbee, Barry, Brookston, Chelsea, Crosier, Markton, Metea, Miami, Owosso, Plainfield, Rensselaer, Riddles, Selfridge, Spinks, and Wawasee soils. The somewhat poorly drained Aubbeenaubbee, Crosier, Markton, and Selfridge soils are on footslopes of glaciated uplands. The poorly drained Barry and Brookston soils and the poorly drained or very poorly drained Rensselaer soils are in depressions of glaciated uplands. The excessively drained Chelsea and Plainfield soils, and the well drained Spinks soils are on summits and backslopes of glaciated uplands and are sandier in the lower part of the series control section. The well drained Metea, Owosso, Riddles, and Wawasee soils, and the moderately well drained Miami soils are on summits and backslopes of glaciated uplands.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Permeability is rapid in the upper sandy material and moderate or moderately slow in the underlying loamy till. The depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 feet from December to April in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used for growing corn, hay, soybeans, and wheat. A few small areas are forested or used for pasture. Native vegetation is deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 111 in northern Indiana. The soils are of small extent. Acreage is expected to increase as more surveys are updated.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pulaski County, Indiana, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to 23 inches (Ap, E1, E2)
Eluvial horizon: from 9 to 23 inches (E1, E2)
Argillic horizon: from 23 to 45 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3)
Redoximorphic features: redox concentrations below depth of 17 inches and redox depletions below depth of 31 inches
NASIS Data Mapunit ID 155031 represents the typical pedon in complex with Metea soils in northern Indiana.
NASIS Data Mapunit ID 401788 represents Moon soils in complex with Williamstown soils in northern Indiana.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data is available for the typical pedon (S98IN-131-012) from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE. Transect data (T98IN-131-096) for the typical pedon is on file in the MLRA project office, Plymouth, Indiana. Transect shows 80 percent Moon and similar soils and 20 percent Metea and similar soils.