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Hydric soils
 

Soil Climate Site - Susitna Valley High School, Alaska
 

Photo of vegetation at the Susitna Valley High School site. SNOTEL Site: Susitna Valley High School
Location:
62° 07’ 57’’ N, 150° 02’ 37’’ W
Elevation:
113 meters
Landform: glaciated plain
Slope: 3 percent
Aspect:
northwest
Vegetation:
mixed white spruce-paper birch forest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of the profile of soil at Susitna Valley High School site.
Map showing the location of the Susitna Valley High School site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domain:  Soil temperature and moisture data are representative of mixed forest communities on well drained upland locations. Soils are formed in loess and volcanic ash over drift deposits in the Cook Inlet Lowlands Major Land Resource Area (illustrated in red).

US Soil Taxonomy:  medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal amorphic over mixed superactive, Andic Haplocryods.  Nancy Series.
Parent Material:
loess and volcanic ash over sandy and gravelly glacial outwash.
General Soil Profile Description:
  Oi-0 to 6 cm; very dark grayish brown; slightly decomposed plant material; pH 4.5
  E/A-6 to 9 cm; pinkish gray and dark brown; silt loam;  pH 4.6
  Bs/Bhs-9 to 21 cm; reddish brown and reddish brown; silt loam; pH 5.1
  Eb/Bsb-21 to 26 cm; reddish gray and reddish brown; silt loam; pH 5.6
  Bsb-26 to 58 cm; dark brown; silt loam; pH 6.1
  2BC-58 to 62 cm; dark brown; gravelly silt loam; pH 6.1
  2C-62 to 152 cm; very dark brown; extremely gravelly sand; pH 6.0
  Notable Features:  Pronounced mixing of soil horizons is attributed to the uprooting of trees by wind throw.  Lenses of buff color volcanic ash deposits are present at between 30 and 40 cm depth along the right side of the pit.  Overall volcanic ash content of the silty eolian mantle ranges from 50 to 85 percent.

 

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