LOCATION ZADOG INEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, parasesquic over mixed, mesic Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Zadog loamy sand - on a nearly level concave slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 11 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many medium and fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--11 to 17 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; common fine and very fine roots; common streaks of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) uncoated sand grains; thin streaks of very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic material; common prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations and stains; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons are 10 to 20 inches.)
Bs--17 to 24 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) and dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) mottles: massive; firm; common fine and very fine roots; common thick discontinuous very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic streaks and lenses; 4 percent iron nodules; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches.)
Bg--24 to 26 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; massive; firm; few very fine roots; few thin discontinuous very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic streaks and coats on faces of peds; few fine and medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; few light gray (10YR 7/2) and very pale brown (10YR 8/3) uncoated sand grains; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches)
C1--26 to 33 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; many prominent pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) and light brown (7.5YR 6/4) mottles; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C2--33 to 49 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sand; single grain; loose; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C3--49 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; many coarse distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) mottles; single grain; loose; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Jasper County, Indiana; about 1 1/2 miles west and 1 mile north of Wheatfield; 150 feet west and 250 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 32 N., R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2 or is neutral and has value of 2. It is fine sandy loam or loamy sand. Iron accumulations and stains which have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 and chroma of 6 or 8 are few or common in the lower part of the horizon. The lower part of the horizon contains 0 to 35 percent iron nodules ranging in size from 1 mm to 100 mm. The A horizon is neutral or slightly acid.
The Bs horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 12 to 30 percent, however a considerable part of the clay sized fraction is illuvial iron oxides. Removing the clay sized iron oxide fraction results in the clay content ranging to a maximum of 25 percent. Iron nodule content ranges from 3 to 10 percent and the size ranges from 1 mm to 250 mm. Strata or lenses with hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2 in which organic matter has accumulated are in most pedons. The Bs horizon is commonly hard when dry. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 12 to 25 percent, however, a considerable part of the clay sized fraction is illuvial iron oxides. Removing the clay sized iron oxide fraction results in the clay content ranging to a maximum of 18 percent. Iron accumulations and stains which have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 and chroma of 6 or 8 are few or common. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 6. It is sand or loamy sand. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Corunna, Darfur, Dassel, Gilford, Hanska, Jubilee, Lyles, and Toolesboro soils. All of these soils do not have iron accumulations in the subsoil. In addition, the Corunna soils have finer material below a depth of 26 inches. Jubilee soils have cooler temperature, shorter frost free season and mean annual precipitation of less than 15 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zadog soils are in broad depressions on outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Zadog soils formed in sandy outwash. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 39 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 53 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Granby, Maumee, and Morocco soils which are in the sandy family. Granby and Maumee soils are on similar topographic positions and do not have iron accumulations in the solum. Morocco soils are on slightly convex rises, do not have iron accumulations in the solum, and are somewhat poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Runoff is very slow or ponded. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid in the solum and rapid in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Zadog soils are drained and cropped to corn and soybeans. Small grain and specialty crops are also grown. A few areas are used for hay and pasture. Native vegetation was elm, silver maple, and river birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Indiana and possibly northeastern Illinois. Zadog series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jasper County, Indiana, 1985.
REMARKS: The sandy loam upper mantle contains an accumulation of iron in its lower part. These soils were mined for iron off and on during the Second World War. There is not enough accumulation of iron to constitute a spodic horizon. The clay increase in typical pedon is not considered genetic nor is the total clay believed a true characterization of the properties of the B horizon. There is evidence from NSSL that an appreciable amount of the free iron is showing up as clay sized material in the normal particle size analysis. This material (clay sized iron) does not influence texture, consistence and permeability in the same way that 2 micron lattice clay does and it is being discounted in placing in a particle size class family.
Diagnostic features and horizons noted in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - 0 to 17 inches (Ap, A horizons); cambic horizon - 17 to 26 inches (Bs, Bg horizons); aquoll - aquic moisture regime (prominent iron stains in lower part of the mollic; field observations show this soil has a water table at or near the surface for several months of the year; analysis shows significant content of lepidocrocite in the iron accumulations).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data is available from the National Soil Survey lab (pedon No. S82IN073-004).