United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Southeast Coastal Plain and Caribbean Soil Survey Region #15 Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content




Albany Series

  • Depth class: Very deep
  • Drainage class: Somewhat poorly drained
  • Permeability: Rapid in the surface and subsurface layers; moderate in the subsoil
  • Parent material: Sandy and loamy marine sediments
  • Landscape: Coastal Plain
  • Landform: Flats
  • Landform position: Smooth and slightly concave slopes
  • Slope: 0 to 2 percent
  • Taxonomic class: Loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Grossarenic Paleudults

Commonly Associated Soils

  • Fuquay soils, which are in the higher positions, are well drained, and are arenic
  • Ocilla soils, which are in positions similar to those of the Albany soils and are arenic
  • Plummer soils, which are in the lower positions and are poorly drained

Typical Pedon

Albany sand; from the Official Series Description for the typical pedon located in Effingham County, Georgia; USGS Springfield North topographic quadrangle; lat. 32 degrees 20 minutes 39.8 seconds N. and long. 81 degrees 21 minutes 27.7 seconds W.

  • Ap—0 to 7 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
  • E1—7 to 25 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; few fine distinct yellow (2.5Y 7/6) masses of iron accumulation and light gray (2.5Y 7/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • E2—25 to 42 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) loamy sand; single grained; loose; common medium prominent yellow (2.5Y 7/6) masses of iron accumulation and few fine prominent light gray (2.5Y 7/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary
  • E3—42 to 48 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) loamy sand; single grained; loose; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and many medium prominent light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
  • Bt1—48 to 56 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few slightly hard lumps or concretions; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; few lenses of light gray sand; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common medium faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) and common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
  • Bt2—56 to 64 inches; about 25 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), 25 percent light gray (10YR 7/1), 25 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), and 25 percent pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few slightly hard concretions; discontinuous clay films in some pores; sand grains coated and bridged; few fine lenses of light gray (10YR 7/1) sand; the areas of light yellowish brown, yellowish brown, and pale yellow are iron accumulations, and the areas of light gray are iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary
  • Btg1—64 to 70 inches; gray (N 6/0) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains coated and bridged; few fine light gray (2.5Y 7/1) lenses of sand; many coarse prominent pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) and yellow (10YR 7/6) and few fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • Btg2—70 to 88 inches; about 34 percent gray (N 6/0), 33 percent red (10R 4/8), and 33 percent yellow (2.5Y 7/6) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium lenses of light gray (N 7/0) sand; the areas in shades of red and yellow are iron accumulations, and the areas in shades of gray are iron depletions; very strongly acid.

Range in Characteristics

  • Thickness of the solum: 70 to more than 80 inches
  • Content and size of rock fragments: None
  • Content of plinthite: Less than 5 percent throughout
  • Reaction: Extremely acid to slightly acid in the upper part, except where limed; extremely acid to moderately acid in the lower part
  • A or Ap horizon:
    • Color—hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2; or neutral in hue and value of 2 to 6
    • Texture—sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
  • E horizon:
    • Color—hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 8
    • Texture—sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
    • Redoximorphic features—few to many in shades of gray, yellow, brown, and red
  • Eg horizon (where present):
    • Color—hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 2 or less; or neutral in hue and value of 1 or 2
    • Texture—same range as the E horizon
    • Redoximorphic features—few to many iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow
  • BE horizon (where present):
    • Color—hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 4 or 6
    • Texture—sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
    • Redoximorphic features—few to many in shades of gray, yellow, brown, and red
  • Bt horizon:
    • Color—hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 8; or no matrix color and multicolored in shades of red, yellow, brown, and gray
    • Texture—sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
    • Redoximorphic features—common or many in shades of gray, yellow, brown, and red
  • Btg horizon:
    • Color—hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2; neutral in hue and value of 4 to 8; or no matrix color and multicolored in shades of gray, red, yellow, and brown
    • Texture—sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
    • Redoximorphic features—common or many in shades of yellow, brown, and red


< Back to Selected Taxonomic Unit Descriptions