Soil Series Atlas

Pacolet soil series

Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults

050100150200cm1 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft5 ft6 ftATopsoil0–8 cm · 0–3 inBt1Subsoil · clay build-up8–58 cm · 3–23 inBt2Subsoil · clay build-up58–74 cm · 23–29 inBCSubsoil grading to parent material74–94 cm · 29–37 inC1Parent material94–132 cm · 37–52 inC2Parent material132–203 cm · 52–80 in050100150200cmATopsoil0–8 cm · 0–3 inBt1Subsoil · clay build-up8–58 cm · 3–23 inBt2Subsoil · clay build-up58–74 cm · 23–29 inBCSubsoil grading toparent material74–94 cm · 29–37 inC1Parent material94–132 cm · 37–52 inC2Parent material132–203 cm · 52–80 in
Typical pedon, to scale: 203 cm (80 in), 6 horizons.

Ultisols — strongly weathered, leached soils with a clay-enriched subsoil

With 3.14 million acres mapped, Pacolet is the 11th-largest of 24,791 U.S. soil series. It shares its full family classification with the larger Cecil, but reaches its subsoil 12 cm higher. In Georgia only four series cover more ground. Outside its main state it also ranks high: the 2nd-largest of 258 series in South Carolina.

Depth
Very deep
Drainage
Well drained
Water movement
Moderate

Compare with another seriesSimilar series in the finder

Where Pacolet is mapped

3,139,465 acres in 107 soil survey areas, from current SSURGO data.

Its family-mate Cecil is larger overall, yet Pacolet covers more ground in Alabama; they overlap in 5 states.

Alabama: 207,545 acresArizonaColoradoFloridaGeorgia: 1,389,502 acresIndianaKansasMaineMassachusettsMinnesotaNew JerseyNorth Carolina: 763,371 acresNorth DakotaOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth DakotaTexasWyomingConnecticutMissouriWest VirginiaIllinoisNew MexicoArkansasCaliforniaDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaIowaKentuckyMarylandMichiganMississippiMontanaNew HampshireNew YorkOhioOregonTennesseeUtahVirginia: 99,740 acresWashingtonWisconsinNebraskaSouth Carolina: 679,307 acresIdahoNevadaVermontLouisianaRhode Island

Share of all Pacolet acres

  1. Georgia44%
  2. North Carolina24%
  3. South Carolina22%
  4. Alabama7%
  5. Virginia3%

In the field

Drainage

Well drained

Drains fastStays wet

Soil depth

Very deep

ShallowDeep

Permeability

Moderate

SlowFast
Parent material
Residuum, igneous/metamorphic rock
Landform
Piedmont uplands, uplands
Type location
South Carolina

How it is classified

Identical to Cecil at every level.

Against other Ultisols

Pacolet makes up 1.66% of all mapped Ultisols — the 4th largest of 1,278 series in the order.

Solum thickness (topsoil + subsoil)

94 cm under a median of 142 cm

Depth to the subsoil

8 cm under a median of 23 cm

Depth described

203 cm over a median of 178 cm

Its relatives

14 established series share the family “Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults”

By mapped acres Pacolet is 2nd among them. Full family list

Close relatives, at one scale

  1. Pacolet203 cm · Typic Kanhapludults
  2. Cecil203 cm · Typic Kanhapludults
  3. Madison168 cm · Typic Kanhapludults

Horizon by horizon

HorizonLayerDepthThickness
ATopsoil0–8 cm0–3 in8 cm
Bt1Subsoil: clay build-up8–58 cm3–23 in50 cm
Bt2Subsoil: clay build-up58–74 cm23–29 in16 cm
BCSubsoil grading to parent material74–94 cm29–37 in20 cm
C1Parent material94–132 cm37–52 in38 cm
C2Parent material132–203 cm52–80 in71 cm

Sources: USDA–NRCS Official Series Description (revised 2008-08), Soil Classification database and SSURGO. Ranks computed by Soil Series Atlas. Method · Guides