New England Soil Profiles
Human Transported Material (HTM) Soils
Human transported material (HTM) is a type of soil parent material used for soils that have been formed or modified by human activity (Anthropogenic soils). The International Committee for Anthropogenic Soils (ICOMANTH)  has developed a system to describe these types of soils which are very common on the New England region.  Circular Letter 6 updated  provides information on horizon designation and more information. Theses soils were previously mapped as Udorthents, Udipsamments, fill, borrow pits, aquents, and other undifferentiated soil and non soil types.

This profile shows a series of fill layers that were placed over a Hinckley soil series. Click the photo above for the horizon designations for this HTM soil. The ^ symbol is the new horizon prefix for HTM (^C). The fill or HTM place over this soil is from a local source based on the gravelly nature of the 2nd fill layer. This profile is a good demonstration of the need to dig deep in these types of soil to look for the buried natural soil surface.

Hinckley Map Unit Description

Photo by Larry LaCroix
Location: Near New Haven St. Central Falls, RI, USA
 41°53'47.44"N
 71°23'0.56"W
 

  

This profile (left) is a Merrimac soil with a layer of HTM placed over it. The buried Merrimac soil has an eolian mantle (yellowish brown subsoil overlying nicely stratified sand and gravel.

Photo by Larry LaCroix
Location: Near Pleasant St. Pawtucket, RI, USA
 

Merrimac Map Unit Description

 Other HTM Soils: Aquents | Psamments | Tihonet | Cranberry Soils

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