LOCATION JAUCAS VI+HI PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Carbonatic, isohyperthermic Typic Ustipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Jaucas sand. (Colors for moist conditions.)
A--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand; single grained; loose; common fine and few coarse roots; about 5 percent, by volume, shell and coral pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
C1--6 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand; single grained; loose; common fine roots; about 5 percent, by volume, shell and coral pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C2--16 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; about 10 percent, by volume, shell and coral pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
C3--26 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sand; single grained; loose; about 10 percent, by volume, shell and coral pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Sandy Point; about 200 feet north of the sea. Frederiksted topographic quadrangle; lat. 17 degrees 40 minutes 51 seconds N.; long. 64 degrees 54 minutes 13 seconds W.; PRD 1940.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Reaction is moderately alkaline throughout the profile. The soil is moderately saline throughout the profile.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 2 or 3. Content of shell and coral pebbles fragments ranges from 0 to 30 percent, by volume.
The AC horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 3. Content of shell and coral pebbles ranges from 0 to 30 percent, by volume.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 3. Content of shell and coral pebbles ranges from 0 to 30 percent, by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Puuone and Shioya series in the same family. Puuone soils have a cemented sand layer. Shioya soils have loamy sand surface layers.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Jaucas soils are on coastal beaches above high tide. They formed in sand-sized fragments of coral and sea shells. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. The climate is tropical semiarid. The average annual air temperature ranges from 76 to 82 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cinnamon Bay, Glynn, Redhook, Sandy Point, Solitude, and Sugar Beach soils. Cinnamon Bay soils are on higher positions and have fine-loamy subsoils. Glynn soils are on higher positions and have clayey-skeletal particle-size control sections. Sandy Point soils and Sugar Beach soils are in slightly lower saline marshes, flats and ponds and are very poorly drained. In addition, Sandy Point soils have fine-loamy particle-size control sections and Sugar Beach soils are organic. Solitude soils are in areas adjacent to saline marshes, flats, and ponds, have loamy subsoils and are somewhat poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for recreation and as marine wildlife refuges. The vegetation includes sea grapes, coconuts and other xerophytic and salt-tolerant plants.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. They are not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Croix. U.S.Virgin Islands, 1932.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches (A horizon).
Psammentic feature - sandy textures throughout the particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (C1, C2 and C3 horizons).
MLRA: 163, 271, 273.
SIR: VI0011, PR0500 (RARELY FLOODED), PR0501 (SALINE), HI0159 (SALINE).