MERRIMAC DESCRIPTION 2325405

Print Date: 8/5/02
Description Date: 2/3/00
Describer: Peter Fletcher, Jim Turenne, and Rob Tunstead

Site ID: 2325405

Site Note:  
Pedon ID: 2325405
Lab Pedon #:
Lab Source ID:

Soil Name as Described/Sampled: Merrimac
Soil Name as Correlated:
Classification:   Sandy, mixed, mesic Typic Dystrudepts

Pedon Type: modal pedon for series
Pedon Purpose: research site
Taxon Kind: series

Location Information
County:   Plymouth
State:   Massachusetts
MLRA:   144A -- New England And Eastern New York Upland, Southern Part
Soil Survey Area:   MA023 -- Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Map Unit:   254A -- Merrimac sandy loam, 0 to 3 %

Location Description:   From the intersection of Rounseville Road and Vaughn Hill Road 3500 feet West and 75 feet North in a woodded area in the town of Rochester.
Legal Description:  

Latitude: 41 degrees 44 minutes 20.2 seconds north
Longitude: 70 degrees 51 minutes 31.1 seconds west
Datum: NAD83
UTM Zone: 19
UTM Easting: 462246 meters
UTM Northing: 345440 meters

Physiographic Division:   Appalachian Highlands
Physiographic Province:   New England Province
Physiographic Section:   Seaboard Lowland Section
State Physiographic Area:  
Local Physiographic Area:   Rochester Massachusetts

Geomorphic Setting:   shoulder of side slope of outwash plain
shoulder of side slope of outwash plain
Upslope Shape: convex
Cross Slope Shape: linear

Primary Earth Cover: tree cover
Secondary Earth Cover: intermixed conifers and hardwoods

Parent Material:   loamy eolian deposits over sandy and gravelly outwash
Bedrock Kind:
Bedrock Depth:
Bedrock Hardness:
Bedrock Fracture Interval:

Surface Fragments:  

Particle Size Control Section: 25 to 100 cm.

Diagnostic Features:   sapric soil materials 0 to 9 cm.
ochric epipedon 0 to 26 cm.
cambic horizon 26 to 67 cm.

Restrictions
Top Depth (cm) Bottom Depth (cm) Restriction Kind Restriction Hardness

Slope (%) Elevation (meters) Aspect (deg) MAAT (C) MSAT (C) MWAT (C) MAP (mm) Frost Free Days Drainage Class Slope Length (meters) Upslope Length (meters)
3 17 240




somewhat excessively


Oa--0 to 9 cm; black (10YR 2/1), highly decomposed plant material; very friable; many very fine roots throughout and many fine roots throughout and many medium roots throughout and many coarse roots throughout; abrupt wavy boundary.

Ap--9 to 26 cm; brown (10YR 4/3), sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; many very fine roots throughout and many fine roots throughout and many medium roots throughout and many coarse roots throughout; abrupt smooth boundary.

Bw1--26 to 47 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout; clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--47 to 67 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), loamy sand; massive; very friable; few very fine roots throughout and few fine roots throughout; clear smooth boundary.

2C--67 to 200 cm; gravelly coarse sand; single grain; few very fine roots throughout.