LOCATION MULHALL OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Udic Paleustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Mulhall loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 13 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
BA--13 to 17 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Bt1--17 to 31 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; thin nearly continuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine roots; few rounded sandstone fragments less than 3 inches in diameter; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. ( 7 to 22 inches thick)
Bt2--31 to 41 inches; red (2.5YR 5/6) clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; common fine distinct strong brown and reddish brown mottles; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, firm; thin nearly continuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine roots; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 26 inches thick)
Bt3--41 to 70 inches; red (2.5YR 5/6) clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; many coarse prominant pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) and light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) redoximorphic depletions and concentrations; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; about 10 percent of the vertical ped faces are coated with clean sand grains; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 32 inches thick)
2Cr--70 to 80 inches; red (10R 5/6) weakly laminated silty shale, red (10R 4/6) moist; calcareous; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Payne County, Oklahoma; about 6 miles south and 3 miles west of Stillwater; 200 feet north and 1,600 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 17, T. 18 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches.
The A horizon has a hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loam or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The BA horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is loam sandy clay loam, or clay loam. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt1 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Some pedons have redoximorphic concentrations in shades of red and brown. Texture is clay loam or sandy clay loam. Rounded sandstone fragments less than 3 inches in diameter make up 0 to 10 percent by volume. Reaction is slightly acid or slightly alkaline.
The Bt2 horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic concentrations are in shades of red or brown. Texture is clay loam or sandy clay loam. Rounded sandstone fragments less than 3 inches in diameter make up 0 to 10 percent by volume. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The Bt3 horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic concentrations and depletions are in shades of red, brown, or gray. Texture is clay loam, sandy clay loam, gravelly clay loam, or gravelly sandy clay loam. Dark concretions less than 3 inches in diameter make up 0 to 20 percent by volume. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
Some pedons have a Bt4 horizon that is similar in color, texture, and reaction to the Bt3 horizon.
Some pedons have a BC horizon. Where present, the BC horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic concentrations and depletions are in shades of red, brown, or gray. Texture is loam or clay loam. Rounded sandstone fragments less than 3 inches in diameter make up 0 to 10 percent by volume. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The 2Cr horizon is weakly consolidated red silty shale. This material is non paralithic and excavation difficulty is low to moderate. Fractures are greater than 10 cm apart. This material is dense enough to be root restrictive, and slakes in water within 15 hours.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in this family. Soils in similar families are the Bastrop, Bastsil, Bukreek, Chickasha, Delwin, Duffau, Justin, Klump, Madge, Milan, Miles, Motley, Naron, Norge, Ravia, Shellabarger, Stoneburg, Teller, and Zaneis series. Bastrop, Bastsil, Delwin, Duffau and Miles soils do not have a mollic epipedon. In addition Bastrop, Delwin and Miles soils have mixed mineralogy. Bukreek, Chickasha, Justin, Madge, Milan, Motley, Naron, Norge, Ravia, Shellabarger, Stoneburg, Teller and Zaneis soils have mixed mineralogy. In addition, Burkee soils have secondary carbonates within 36 inches of the soils surface. In addition, Chickasha, Madge, Stoneburg, and Zaneis soils have a solum less than 60 inches thick. In addition, Milan, Naron, Ravia, Shellabarger, and Teller soils have a clay content that decreases by 20 percent from the maximum within 60 inches of the soils surface. In addition, Norge soils have a fine-silty control section. Klump soils have a clay content that decreases by 20 percent from the maximum within 60 inches of the soils surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mulhall soils are on smooth gently sloping upland side slopes in the Central Rolling Red Prairies. Slopes range from 3 to 8 percent. They formed in colluvium and are underlain with silty shale of Permian age.
Mean Annual Precipitation: 26 to 40 inches.
Mean Annual Temperature: 58 to 64 degrees F.
Thornthwaite Annual P-E indices: 44 to 64.
Frost free days: 200 to 230.
Elevation: 1000 to 1300 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Chickasha and Zaneis soils and the Grainola, Lucien and Renfrow soils. Chickasha and Zaneis soils are on similar landscapes as the Mulhall soils. Grainola and Renfrow soils are on landscapes that are slightly higher. Grainola soils have a solum less than 40 inches thick, lack a mollic epipedon, and have a fine control section. Lucien soils have a solum less than 20 inches thick, lack argillic horizons, have mixed mineralogy, and usually occur on ridgetops above the Mulhall soils. Renfrow soils have a fine control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is low on 3 to 5 percent slopes and medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for native meadow or rangeland. Some areas are cultivated to small grains or improved pasture. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rolling Red Prairies of Oklahoma. The soil is not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Payne County, Oklahoma; 1983.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Zaneis series. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 13 inches (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 17 inches to a depth of 70 inches (Bt horizons)
Lithologic discontinuity - the occurence of contrasting material at a depth of 70 inches.
Cr horizon - the occurence of non paralithic, rock like material at a depth of 70 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Mineralogy was determined on sample 80-OK-60-10 by the National Soil Survey Laboratory.