Reference soil United States of America 17: Cryosol

US017

Cryosols typically occur in arctic and mountainous regions where permanently frozen subsoil or "permafrost" is found.

Characteristics

Soils having one or more cryic horizons (horizon with evidence of being perennially frozen) within 100 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Cryosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil US017: Cryosols

PROFILE DESCRIPTION: Bg1: matrix colour also very dark greyish brown (10YR 3/2, moist). Cg1: distorted strata; matrix colour also olive brown (2.5Y 4/4, moist); texture: lenses of very fine sandy loam. Cg2: strata; matrix colour also olive brown (2.5Y 4/4, moist); texture: lenses of very fine sandy loam. Cf: strata; matrix colour also olive brown (2.5Y 4/4, moist); texture: lenses of very fine sandy loam. Permafrost present between 40 and 100 cm depth

Classification

WRB 1998

Gleyi-Turbic- Cryosol (Stagnic)

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Stagni-Gelic Cambisol gelundic

Gelic Gleysol

- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon
-	permafrost
-	stagnic

- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon
-	hydromorphic
-	permafrost

Local classification:	Tanana silt loam, thawed & drained

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Typic Aquiturbel aquic loamy mixed cryic
USDA-SCS (1975)	Typic Cryaquept aquic coarse-silty mixed cryic

Physical characteristics

Particle size distribution

Depth (cm)	Gravel % v/v	very coarse sand % w/w	coarse sand % w/w	medium sand % w/w	fine sand % w/w	very fine sand % w/w	Total sand % w/w	coarse silt % w/w	fine silt % w/w	Total silt % w/w	Clay % w/w
0-20	0	0	0.3	0.3	1.5	16.5	18.6	28.6	37.4	66	15.4
20-28	0	0	0.2	0.1	0.6	18.6	19.5	23.9	43.2	67.1	13.4
28-55	0	0	0.1	0.3	0.4	8.1	8.9	38.8	40.6	79.4	11.8
55-86	0	0	0	0.3	0.4	27.9	28.6	47.1	18.1	65.2	6.4
86-129	0	0	0	0.3	1.3	34.4	36	42.6	16.6	59.2	4.8
129-152	0	0	0	0.2	0.1	12.1	12.4	42.7	36.8	79.5	8.2

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-20	-	-	-	-	15.4
20-28	-	-	-	-	13.4
28-55	-	-	-	-	11.8
55-86	1.49	-	-	-	6.4
86-129	-	-	-	-	4.8
129-152	-	-	-	-	8.2

Other physical data

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	pF 0 % v/v	pF 1.0 % v/v	pF 1.5 % v/v	pF 2.0 % v/v	pF 2.3 % v/v	pF 2.7 % v/v	pF 3.4 % v/v	pF 4.2 % v/v
55-86	1.49	-	-	-	-	10.9	-	-	6

Chemical data

Depth (cm)	pH H2O	pHKCl	EC 1: 2.5 dS/m	CaCO3 % w/w	C % w/w	N %	C / N	Exch. Acid cmol(c)/kg	Exch. Al cmol(c)/kg	Ca cmol(c)/kg	Mg cmol(c)/kg	K cmol(c)/kg	Na cmol(c)/kg	Sum Cations cmol(c)/kg
0-20	7.1	6.5	0.9	2.3	3.98	0.24	17	-	-	27.7	9.5	0.2	0.4	37.8
20-28	7.3	6.5	0.66	1.6	3.07	0.21	15	-	-	26.7	8.9	0.1	0.4	36.1
28-55	7.0	6.2	0.24	1.5	0.56	0.06	9	-	-	12.3	5.7	0.1	0.2	18.3
55-86	7.2	6.3	0.15	0.9	0.28	0.03	9	-	-	7.1	3.3	0.1	0.1	10.6
86-129	7.4	6.3	0.09	0.8	0.31	0.03	10	-	-	5.8	2.9	0.1	0.0	8.8
129-152	7.3	6.3	0.12	1.0	0.57	0.06	10	-	-	8.3	4.3	0.1	0.1	12.8

Depth (cm)	Base sat. %	CEC soil cmol(c)/kg	CEC clay cmol(c)/kg	CEC org cmol(c)/kg	ECEC cmol(c)/kg	Al sat. %	ESP %
0-20	115	32.9	214	13.9	-	-	1
20-28	122	29.5	220	10.7	-	-	1
28-55	121	15.1	128	2.0	-	-	1
55-86	115	9.2	144	1.0	-	-	1
86-129	106	8.3	173	1.1	-	-	0
129-152	108	11.9	145	2.0	-	-	1

Depth (cm)	pH NaF	P Retention %	ODOE	Al o % w/w	Si o % w/w	Fe d % w/w	Al d % w/w	Fe p % w/w	Al p % w/w	C p % w/w	Fe o % w/w
0-20	-	-	-	-	-	0.9	0.1	-	-	-	-
20-28	-	-	-	-	-	1.1	0.1	-	-	-	-
28-55	-	-	-	-	-	1.2	0.1	-	-	-	-
55-86	-	-	-	-	-	1.1	0.1	-	-	-	-
86-129	-	-	-	-	-	1	0.1	-	-	-	-
129-152	-	-	-	-	-	1	0.1	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
20-28	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	very weak to weak	weak to medium
55-86	very weak	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	very weak to weak	-	-	very weak	very weak to weak
129-152	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-	-	very weak to weak	very weak to weak	-	-	very weak	very weak

Soluble sands

Depth (cm)	Ca mmol(c)/kg	Mg mmol(c)/kg	K mmol(c)/kg	Na mmol(c)/kg	sum cations mmol(c)/kg	CO3 mmol(c)/kg	HCO3 mmol(c)/kg	Cl mmol(c)/kg	NO3 mmol(c)/kg	SO4 mmol(c)/kg	sum anions mmol(c)/kg
0-20	8	5.2	0.1	2.3	15.6	0	2	1.4	10.3	1.8	15.5
20-28	6	4.8	0	2.4	13.2	0	1.4	1.1	6.9	3.3	12.7
28-55	2.5	2	0	1.4	5.9	0	1.7	0.5	2.6	0.7	5.5

Depth (cm)	Sodium ads. ratio	pH e	EC e dS/m	EC 1 : 5 dS/m
0-20	1	7.2	1.55	-
20-28	1	7.9	1.29	-
28-55	1	8.1	0.6	-

Profile description

Ap 0-20 cm	very dark greyish brown (2.5Y 3/2, moist)silt loam,weak medium granular,very friable non sticky non plastic,moderately porous (40-60 vol%),abrupt smooth boundary to,
Bg@1 20-28 cm	dark grey (5Y 4/1, moist)silt loam,moderate fine platy,very friable non sticky non plastic,common fine distinct mottles (7.5YR 4/4) and few medium faint mottles (5Y 5/2),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few stones charcoal fragments,clear wavy boundary to,
Bg@2 28-55 cm	dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2, moist)silt loam,moderate fine platy,very friable non sticky non plastic,common fine distinct mottles (7.5YR 4/4) and many medium faint mottles (5Y 5/2),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few stones charcoal fragments,abrupt wavy boundary to,
Cg@1 55-86 cm	dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2, moist)silt loam,massive,very friable non sticky non plastic,many medium distinct mottles (7.5YR 4/4) and many medium distinct mottles (5Y 5/2),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),few stones charcoal fragments,gradual wavy boundary to,
Cg@2 86-129 cm	dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2, moist)silt loam,massive,very friable non sticky non plastic,few fine faint mottles (7.5YR 4/4) and many medium distinct mottles (5Y 5/2),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),gradual wavy boundary to,
Cf 129-152 cm	dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2, moist)silt loam,massive,very friable non sticky non plastic,few faint mottles (5Y 5/2),moderately porous (40-60 vol%),

Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	fluvial
Remarks on Parent Materials	high mica content
Texture of parent material (second entry)	loamy

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	absent
Slope stability	stable

Altitude	0m
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	alluvial terrace
Slope	1%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	poor
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-152cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	moderate
Estimated run off (class)	slow
Drainage class - intergrade; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	imperfect

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none

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Reference soil United States of America 17: Cryosol

Characteristics

Reference soil US017: Cryosols

Classification