Megapit Details - NEON Data

D13 NIWO Megapit Soils Description

PEDON DESCRIPTION gneiss mica schist 110 centimeters 110 centimeters moderately cemented moderately cemented

Print Date: Jul 22 2015	Country:
Description Date: Aug 19 2014	State: Colorado
Describer: Andy Steinert, Clark Harshbarger, Willian Shoup	County: Boulder
Site ID: 2014CO013001	MLRA: 48A -- Southern Rocky Mountains
Site Note: This site is the location of the Niwot Ridge NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network) site. All location information was measured at the soil pit.	Soil Survey Area: CO645 -- Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest Area, Colorado, Parts of Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Park and Larimer Counties 4-FTC -- Fort Collins, Colorado
Pedon ID: S2014CO013501	Map Unit: 8776B -- Moran family-Lithic Cryorthents-Rubble land complex, 5 to 40 percent slopes
Pedon Note: At the time of this description there were no series to fit the classification of coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryolls. The best fit at this time was to use the 'taxon above family' and call it the Moran Family from the map unit, Moran family-Lithic Cryorthents-Rubble land complex, 5 to 40 percent slopes (MUSYM 8776B). The soil pit was located within this map unit. The Moran family is classified as a loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Humic Dystrocryepts in the Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest Soil Survey (v3, Dec. 23, 2013). The differences in this pedon are the amount of rock fragments, the paralithic contact, and the mollic epipedon. This pedon has a paralithic contact at 110 centimenters and the rock fragments are less than 35 percent in the particle size control section. The mollic epipedon was very high in organic matter (decompossed) and would be similar to the 'Humic' subgroup for the Dystrocryepts. Please note, that the classification on the OSD for the Moran series has been updated to loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Humicryepts.	Quad Name: Ward, Colorado
Lab Source ID: KSSL	Std Latitude: 40.0523600
Lab Pedon #: 14N0993	Std Longitude: -105.5832400
User Transect ID:
Soil Name as Described/Sampled: Moran
Classification: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryolls	Latitude: 40 degrees 3 minutes 8.50 seconds north
Soil Name as Correlated:	Longitude: 105 degrees 34 minutes 59.70 seconds west
Classification:	Datum: WGS84
Pedon Type: undefined observation	UTM Zone: 13
Pedon Purpose: research site	UTM Easting: 450252 meters
Taxon Kind: taxon above family	UTM Northing: 4433732 meters
Associated Soils: Leighcan family, Lithic Cryorthents, Moran family
Physiographic Division: Rocky Mountain System	Primary Earth Cover: Grass/herbaceous cover
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains	Secondary Earth Cover: Tundra rangeland
Physiographic Section:	Existing Vegetation: alpine bluegrass, alpine clover, alpine sagebrush, elk sedge, Fern or Fern Ally, fir, moss campion, phlox, Pyrenean sedge, Ross' avens, snow cinquefoil, timber oatgrass
State Physiographic Area:	Parent Material: glaciofluvial deposits over residuum weathered from granite, gneiss, schist
Local Physiographic Area: Niwot Ridge	Bedrock Kind: granite
Geomorphic Setting: on mountainflank, center third of mountain slope on mountain range	Bedrock Depth: 110 centimeters
Upslope Shape: convex	Bedrock Hardness: indurated
Cross Slope Shape: convex	Bedrock Fracture Interval:
Particle Size Control Section: 25 to 100 cm.	Surface Fragments: 3.0 percent nonflat subangular indurated 2- to 75-millimeter granite fragments
Description origin: NASIS	Description database: KSSL

Diagnostic Features:

mollic epipedon 0 to 30 cm.
cambic horizon 30 to 79 cm.
paralithic contact 110 to cm.

Top Depth (cm)	Bottom Depth (cm)	Restriction Kind	Restriction Hardness
110		bedrock, paralithic

Cont. Site ID: 2014CO013001

Pedon ID: S2014CO013501

Slope (%)	Elevation (meters)	Aspect (deg)	MAAT (C)	MSAT (C)	MWAT (C)	MAP (mm)	Frost-Free Days	Drainage Class	Slope Length (meters)	Upslope Length (meters)
13.0	3,474.0	135						well

A1--0 to 14 centimeters (0.0 to 5.5 inches); black (7.5YR 2.5/1) broken face loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face, dry; 45 percent sand; 40 percent silt; 15 percent clay; moderate medium granular, and weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 3 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.3, pH meter; this horizon is very high in highly decompossed organic matter; clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 14N04815 A1--0 to 14 centimeters (0.0 to 5.5 inches); black (7.5YR 2.5/1) broken face loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face, dry; 45 percent sand; 40 percent silt; 15 percent clay; moderate medium granular, and weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 3 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.3, pH meter; this horizon is very high in highly decompossed organic matter; clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 14N04815 A1--0 to 14 centimeters (0.0 to 5.5 inches); black (7.5YR 2.5/1) broken face loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face, dry; 45 percent sand; 40 percent silt; 15 percent clay; moderate medium granular, and weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 3 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.3, pH meter; this horizon is very high in highly decompossed organic matter; clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 14N04815

A2--14 to 30 centimeters (5.5 to 11.8 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) broken face loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face, dry; 45 percent sand; 40 percent silt; 15 percent clay; moderate medium granular, and weak fine subangular blocky, and moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 3 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.3, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04816 A2--14 to 30 centimeters (5.5 to 11.8 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) broken face loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face, dry; 45 percent sand; 40 percent silt; 15 percent clay; moderate medium granular, and weak fine subangular blocky, and moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 3 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.3, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04816 A2--14 to 30 centimeters (5.5 to 11.8 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) broken face loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face, dry; 45 percent sand; 40 percent silt; 15 percent clay; moderate medium granular, and weak fine subangular blocky, and moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 3 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.3, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04816

Bw1--30 to 49 centimeters (11.8 to 19.3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/3) broken face gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) broken face, dry; 70 percent sand; 22 percent silt; 8 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 20 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.4, pH meter; this horizon has a partial stone line that is very gravelly to extremely gravelly in the left side of the pit, it does not show on the right side of the pit; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04817 Bw1--30 to 49 centimeters (11.8 to 19.3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/3) broken face gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) broken face, dry; 70 percent sand; 22 percent silt; 8 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 20 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.4, pH meter; this horizon has a partial stone line that is very gravelly to extremely gravelly in the left side of the pit, it does not show on the right side of the pit; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04817 Bw1--30 to 49 centimeters (11.8 to 19.3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/3) broken face gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) broken face, dry; 70 percent sand; 22 percent silt; 8 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 20 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.4, pH meter; this horizon has a partial stone line that is very gravelly to extremely gravelly in the left side of the pit, it does not show on the right side of the pit; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04817

Bw2--49 to 79 centimeters (19.3 to 31.1 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) broken face, dry; 70 percent sand; 22 percent silt; 8 percent clay; weak very coarse subangular blocky, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; common very fine pores; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 8 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.4, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04818 Bw2--49 to 79 centimeters (19.3 to 31.1 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) broken face, dry; 70 percent sand; 22 percent silt; 8 percent clay; weak very coarse subangular blocky, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; common very fine pores; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 8 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.4, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04818 Bw2--49 to 79 centimeters (19.3 to 31.1 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) broken face, dry; 70 percent sand; 22 percent silt; 8 percent clay; weak very coarse subangular blocky, and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; common very fine pores; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 8 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; strongly acid, pH 5.4, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04818

2C--79 to 110 centimeters (31.1 to 43.3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) broken face, dry; 75 percent sand; 17 percent silt; 8 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 5 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 7 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately acid, pH 5.6, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04819 2C--79 to 110 centimeters (31.1 to 43.3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) broken face, dry; 75 percent sand; 17 percent silt; 8 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 5 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 7 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately acid, pH 5.6, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04819 2C--79 to 110 centimeters (31.1 to 43.3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) broken face, dry; 75 percent sand; 17 percent silt; 8 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 5 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 7 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately acid, pH 5.6, pH meter; gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 14N04819

2(C)/Cr--110 to 200 centimeters (43.3 to 78.7 inches); indurated granite bedrock; This horizon has a good example of the uplift of the granite, gniess, and schist in this area. The paralithic material (Cr) is angled upward in the lower left-hand part of the pit, while the C and Cr material in the right-hand side of the it is relatively horizontal. It was very evident in the pit that the Cr and C material at one point in time was horizontal and connected. Lab sample # 14N04820 2(C)/Cr--110 to 200 centimeters (43.3 to 78.7 inches); moderately cemented gneiss bedrock; This horizon has a good example of the uplift of the granite, gniess, and schist in this area. The paralithic material (Cr) is angled upward in the lower left-hand part of the pit, while the C and Cr material in the right-hand side of the it is relatively horizontal. It was very evident in the pit that the Cr and C material at one point in time was horizontal and connected. Lab sample # 14N04820 2(C)/Cr--110 to 200 centimeters (43.3 to 78.7 inches); moderately cemented mica schist bedrock; This horizon has a good example of the uplift of the granite, gniess, and schist in this area. The paralithic material (Cr) is angled upward in the lower left-hand part of the pit, while the C and Cr material in the right-hand side of the it is relatively horizontal. It was very evident in the pit that the Cr and C material at one point in time was horizontal and connected. Lab sample # 14N04820

2C/(Cr)--110 to 200 centimeters (43.3 to 78.7 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) broken face, dry; 80 percent sand; 14 percent silt; 6 percent clay; 2 percent coarse prominent (7.5YR 6/8) and 3 percent medium prominent (7.5YR 6/8) mottles; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 5 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately acid, pH 5.9, pH meter. Lab sample # 14N04820 2C/(Cr)--110 to 200 centimeters (43.3 to 78.7 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) broken face, dry; 80 percent sand; 14 percent silt; 6 percent clay; 2 percent coarse prominent (7.5YR 6/8) and 3 percent medium prominent (7.5YR 6/8) mottles; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 5 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately acid, pH 5.9, pH meter. Lab sample # 14N04820 2C/(Cr)--110 to 200 centimeters (43.3 to 78.7 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) broken face loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) broken face, dry; 80 percent sand; 14 percent silt; 6 percent clay; 2 percent coarse prominent (7.5YR 6/8) and 3 percent medium prominent (7.5YR 6/8) mottles; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; 1 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 380 to 600-millimeter granite fragments and 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 76 to 250-millimeter granite fragments and 5 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2 to 75-millimeter granite fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately acid, pH 5.9, pH meter. Lab sample # 14N04820