LOCATION MAURY              KY+TN

MAURY SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Paleudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Maury silt loam--cultivated.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise
stated.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, crushed, dark brown (10YR 3/3) uncrushed, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry;
moderate fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many
fine roots; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10
inches thick)

AB--8 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam, crushed,
dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) uncrushed; moderate fine and medium
granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; few fine pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

BA--16 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) light silty clay loam; weak fine granular and subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; few fine pores; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

Bt1--21 to 29 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay
loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure that parts to strong very fine angular blocky structure; friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few small pores; many clay
films; few small black concretions; medium acid; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)

Bt2--29 to 42 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silty clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure that parts to strong very fine angular blocky; friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few
fine roots; few fine pores; many clay films; common small black concretions; few very small yellowish sand sized chert; medium
acid; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)

Bt3--42 to 61 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure that parts to strong very fine angular blocky; firm, sticky and slightly plastic; very few fine roots; many clay films; common small black concretions and
stainings; common small yellowish sand sized chert and a few
coarse chert fragments less than 1 inch in diameter; strongly
acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)

Bt4--61 to 75 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) interlayered with
pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay; weak medium angular blocky structure; very firm, sticky and slightly plastic; many clay films; common
small black concretions and a few thin horizontal layers of soft black material; common small yellowish sand sized chert; strongly acid. (10 to 35 inches thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Scott County, Kentucky; 750 feet east of farm
house, 0.4 mile north of U.S. 227 & 460 alongside private road; entrance to private road is 1.2 miles east of intersection with Interstate 75 and about 3 miles east of Georgetown.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 60
to about 120 inches. Thickness of the argillic horizon ranges
from about 50 to 100 inches. Depth to bedrock ranges from 60 to
200 inches or more. Chert fragments less than 3 inches in
diameter range from 0 to 5 percent in the Bt and C horizons. The reaction of the A and B horizons range from neutral to strongly
acid, the upper part of the Bt horizon ranges from slightly acid
to strongly acid and the lower part of the B horizon ranges from medium acid to very strongly acid. The phosphate content in the solum is variable but is typically medium or high.

The Ap horizons, crushed, have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4,
and chroma from 2 to 4. Some pedons have Ap horizons less than 7 inches thick with a value of 3. E horizons underlying the Ap have the same color range as the Ap with 7.5YR hues in most pedons. Texture of the AB horizon is silt loam or light silty clay loam; structure is weak or moderate, very fine through medium granular.

The BA horizon is brown (7.5YR 4/4) or reddish brown (5YR 4/4)
silty clay loam or heavy silt loam with weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky or granular structure and friable or very friable consistence. The upper part of Bt horizons is reddish
brown (5YR 4/4) but also includes hue of 7.5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 5 and 6; texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, or
clay. The middle part of Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR,
value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 4 through 8. Structure of the
Bt consists of weak or moderate, fine and medium subangular or angular blocky parting to moderate or strong, very fine angular or subangular blocky; consistence is friable or firm but is very firm
in the lower Bt in some pedons.

The lower Bt or C horizons, when present, have hue of 7.5YR or
5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 through 8. The texture is clay, silty clay, or heavy silty clay loam; consistence is firm or very firm. Some pedons are layered or mottled with shades of
brown or gray in the lower Bt horizons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Shenval and Vertrees series. Shenval soils lack the loess-like mantle of the Maury soils and
has a few cobblestones in the upper horizons. It also has a finer textured upper Bt horizon. Vertrees soils have many distinct yellowish brown mottles in the lower Bt horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Broad ridgetops and gentle side slopes of a karst plain. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. These soils
formed in 1 to 2 feet of silty loess-like material overlying limestone residuum or old alluvium, typically high in content of phosphate. The underlying limestone is cavernous and some areas
have karst topography. Near the type location the average annual
air temperature is 54 degrees F. and the average annual
precipitation is 45 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ashton, Caleast, Donerail, Fairmount, Loradale, Lowell, McAfee, and Nicholson
series. All of these associated soils have a solum less than 60 inches thick. Ashton soils have an Ap horizon 7 to 10 inches
thick with a value of 3 and are in a fine-silty family
particle-size class. Caleast soils have a solum between 40 and 60 inches thick. Donerail soils have a mollic epipedon, have hues of 7.5YR or 10YR in the Bt horizon and are moderately well drained. Fairmount soils have a solum between 10 and 20 inches thick. Loradale soils have a mollic epipedon and yellower hues in the
lower part of the Bt horizon. Lowell soils have hues of 7.5YR or 10YR in the Bt horizon. McAfee soils have a lithic contact at
less than 40 inches. Nicholson soils have a fragipan.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium to
slow and permeability is moderate to moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for crops, such as burley tobacco, corn, small grains, and alfalfa and for pasture.
Bluegrass and white clover are the most common pasture plants. Native vegetation was dominated by oaks, elm, ash, black walnut, black and honey locust, hackberry, black cherry, and Kentucky
coffee tree. Glades of native grasses and canes were reported by early settlers.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. REMARKS: The extent is large.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lexington, Kentucky

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garrard County, Kentucky; 1921.

REMARKS: The Maury series is currently used in the Central Basin
of Tennessee as a thermic taxajunct.