LOCATION MORRISTOWN OH+IL KYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, calcareous, mesic Typic Udorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Morristown gravelly clay loam, stony - on a 3 percent convex slope; seeded to grass-legume pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly clay loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard; common roots; common pores; 20 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
C1--5 to 18 inches; variegated dark gray (5Y 4/l) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4 - 5/6) very gravelly clay loam; massive; slightly hard; common roots; 40 percent by volume gravel and cobbles; strong effervescence, mildly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C2--18 to 37 inches; variegated dark gray (5Y 4/1), light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), and black (N 2/0) very gravelly clay loam; massive; firm; 40 percent gravel and cobbles; strong effervescence, mildly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C3--37 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam; massive; friable; 40 percent gravel and cobbles; slight effervescence, mildly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Belmont County, Ohio; 2.6 miles North of Fairview, 1100 feet south and 140 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 34, T. 9 N., R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is more than 5 feet. Content of rock fragments in the A or Ap horizon ranges from 15 to 50 percent except for reclaimed phases that have less than 15 percent. The C horizon ranges from 35 to 80 percent with an average of about 40 percent. Some pedons have thin layers with 20 to 35 percent rock fragments. Rock fragments commonly range in size from 2 mm to 25 cm but include stones and boulders. Very stony and bouldery phases are recognized.
The A or Ap horizon is gravelly, very gravelly, channery, or, very channery, analogues of clay loam, silty clay loam, silt loam, or loam. Reclaimed areas have an A horizon from natural soil material, 6 to 12 inches thick. Textures are clay loam, silty clay loam, silt loam, or loam. The A or Ap horizon has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 8. Some pedons have thin A horizons that have value of 3. Reaction of the A or Ap horizon ranges from moderately alkaline to slightly acid.
The C horizon is commonly, very gravelly, very cobbly, or very channery analogues of loam, silt loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Some pedons have subhorizons with channery, extremely gravelly, extremely cobbly, or extremely channery analogues of these textures. The C horizons are neutral or range in hue from 5YR to 5Y, value of 2 through 6, and chroma of 0 through 8. They are mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline and have free carbonates.
COMPETING SERIES: Myra is the only other series in the family. Series in related families include the Barkcamp, Bethesda, Enoch, Fairpoint, and Kaymine series. Myra soils have coarse fragments dominated by calcareous and noncalcareous shale and siltstone, and commonly contain less than 27 percent clay. Barkcamp and Enoch soils are ultra acid and have siliceous mineralogy. Bethesda soils are strongly acid to extremely acid. Fairpoint and Kaymine soils are nonacid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Morristown soils are on nearly level ridgetops and benches to very steep side slopes. They formed in regolith from surface mine operations. Dominant fragments of rock consist of limestone, shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 45 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 52 to 56 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Culleoka, Elba, Guernsey, Lowell, and Westmoreland series. Elba, Guernsey, and Lowell soils are formed in residuum from limestone and shale bedrock. These soils have fine textured argillic horizons. Culleoka and Westmoreland soils have fine-loamy argillic horizons and are formed in residuum from siltstone and sandstone. Also, the Culleoka soils are 20 to 40 inches thick over bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Morristown soils are well drained; runoff is slow to very rapid; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas have been seeded to hay and pasture crops. Some areas have been planted to hardwood trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and possibly Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Belmont County, Ohio, 1978.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as mine spoils. They have no diagnostic horizons except for an ochric epipedon, from the surface to a depth of about 5 inches (Ap).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data and engineering test data is available for the following pedons: BT-21 (typical pedon), BT-22, and BT-23. Addtional characterization data is available for MS-16, MS-18, MS-19, and MS-20.