Agriculture Canada Central Saskatchewan Vector Soils Data Summary This data set consists of GIS layers that describe the soils of the BOREAS SSA. These original data layers were submitted as vector data in ARC/INFO EXPORT format. These data also include the soil name and soil layer files, which provide additional information about the soils. There are three sets of attributes that include information on the primary, secondary, and tertiary soil type within each polygon. Thus, there is a total of nine main attributes in this data set. Note that some of the data set files on the BOREAS CD-ROMs have been compressed using the Gzip program. See section 8.2 for details. Table of Contents * 1 Data Set Overview * 2 Investigator(s) * 3 Theory of Measurements * 4 Equipment * 5 Data Acquisition Methods * 6 Observations * 7 Data Description * 8 Data Organization * 9 Data Manipulations * 10 Errors * 11 Notes * 12 Application of the Data Set * 13 Future Modifications and Plans * 14 Software * 15 Data Access * 16 Output Products and Availability * 17 References * 18 Glossary of Terms * 19 List of Acronyms * 20 Document Information 1. Data Set Overview 1.1 Data Set Identification Agriculture Canada Central Saskatchewan Vector Soils Data 1.2 Data Set Introduction This data set consists of Geographic Information System (GIS) layers that describe the soils of an area that covers a swath through central Saskatchewan. The original data were submitted as vector layers in ARC/INFO EXPORT format. 1.3 Objective/Purpose The objective of these data is to provide BOReal Ecosystem Atmospheric Study (BOREAS) investigators with a map of soil types and other soil properties. Because the original data were not collected by BOREAS Staff, it cannot be said what the original objective was for collecting them. Although these data were received from Agriculture Canada, they do not cover agricultural areas of the BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA), only forested areas. 1.4 Summary of Parameters The parameters include: SOIL CODE, MODIFIERS, EXTENT, and soil names for primary, secondary, and tertiary soil units. 1.5 Discussion This data set consists of GIS layers that describe the soils of the BOREAS SSA. These original data layers were submitted as vector data in ARC/INFO EXPORT format. These data also include the soil name and soil layer files, which provide additional information about the soils. There are three sets of attributes that include information on the primary, secondary, and tertiary soil type within each polygon. There is a total of nine main attributes in this data set. See Section 7.3 for more details. 1.6 Related Data Sets BOREAS Soils Data over the SSA in Raster Format and AEAC Projection CanSIS Regional Soils Data in Vector Format BOREAS Regional Soils Data in Raster Format and AEAC Projection 2. Investigator(s) 2.1 Investigator(s) Name and Title BOREAS Staff 2.2 Title of Investigation BOREAS Staff Science GIS Data Collection Program 2.3 Contact Information Contact 1 --------------- David Knapp NASA/GSFC Greenbelt, MD (301) 286-1424 (301) 286-0239 (fax) David.Knapp@gsfc.nasa.gov Contact 2 --------------------- Dr. Harold Rostad Agriculture Canada Saskatoon, SK Canada (306) 975-6305 rostad@digger.usask.ca 3. Theory of Measurements Unknown. 4. Equipment 4.1 Sensor/Instrument Description Unknown. 4.1.1 Collection Environment Unknown. 4.1.2 Source/Platform Unknown. 4.1.3 Source/Platform Mission Objectives Unknown. 4.1.4 Key Variables Unknown. 4.1.5 Principles of Operation Unknown. 4.1.6 Sensor/Instrument Measurement Geometry Unknown. 4.1.7 Manufacturer of Sensor/Instrument Unknown. 4.2 Calibration 4.2.1 Specifications Unknown. 4.2.1.1 Tolerance Unknown. 4.2.2 Frequency of Calibration Unknown. 4.2.3 Other Calibration Information Unknown. 5. Data Acquisition Methods These data were acquired in ARC/INFO EXPORT format as vector coverages. The Soil Names file and Soil Layer file are standard files that provide soil attributes for the province of Saskatchewan. The soil code for each polygon can be linked to the corresponding soil code attribute in the Soil Names file. The Soil Layer file contains information about the various soil layers that exist for each soil name. 6. Observations 6.1 Data Notes None. 6.2 Field Notes None. 7. Data Description 7.1 Spatial Characteristics 7.1.1 Spatial Coverage These data cover a swath running east-west through the central part of Saskatchewan. These coverages are in the Universal Transverse Mercator projection (UTM) using the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27) in UTM zones 12, 13, and 14. The *.pp files give some information about the bounding latitude/longitudes of each coverage. Some information about the projection of each coverage may also be given. Sometimes this projection name may not be very descriptive (e.g., TABLE). In these cases, the user must determine in which zone the coverage might exist. This can be done by plotting the data with coverages of a known UTM zone. The approximate locations of the corners of this area are: Corner Longitude Latitude -------------------------------------------------- Northwest 110.4511W 55.0614N Northeast 99.8739W 55.0614N Southeast 99.8739W 52.8618N Southwest 110.4511W 52.8618N 7.1.2 Spatial Coverage Map Not available. 7.1.3 Spatial Resolution These vector data are based on soils maps that were created at a scale of 1:125,000. 7.1.4 Projection These data are in the UTM projection. The various coverages are in one of three different UTM zones (12, 13, or 14). Some of the coverages on the western end of this area are in UTM zone 12 (i.e., SKd 148s, and SKd 182s). Most of the coverages in the center are in UTM zone 13(i.e., SKd 019s, SKd 020s, SKd 057s, SKd 058s, SKd 059s, SKd 060s, SKd 061s, SKd 0115s, SKd 144s, SKd 145s, and SKd 146s). The coverages in the east end of the area are in UTM zone 14 (i.e. SKd 053s, SKd 054s, SKd 055s, SKd 056s, SKd 113s, and SKd 114s). These UTM projections are based on NAD27. 7.1.5 Grid Description Not applicable. 7.2 Temporal Characteristics 7.2.1 Temporal Coverage The time at which these soils were mapped could not be determined. They may have originally been mapped in the early 1980s, but the data have been updated and edited by Agriculture Canada based on new information since that time. 7.2.2 Temporal Coverage Map Not available. 7.2.3 Temporal Resolution Unknown. 7.3 Data Characteristics See table of parameter names and descriptions following Section 7.3.3. 7.3.1 Parameter/Variable HECTARES PROVINCE SOIL_CODE1 SOIL_CODE2 SOIL_CODE3 MODIFIER1 MODIFIER2 MODIFIER3 EXTENT1 EXTENT2 EXTENT3 SLOPE1 SLOPE2 SLOPE3 7.3.2 Variable Description/Definition SOIL_CODE1 3-character code for the primary soil name. SOIL_CODE2 3-character code for the secondary soil name. SOIL_CODE3 3-character code for the tertiary soil name. MODIFIER1 3-character code to show soil variations of the primary soil. The modifier applies to the soil name and the soil code. Together with the SOIL_CODE1, a unique record can be identified in the soil name and soil layer file that matches both the SOIL_CODE1 and MODIFIER1 of the polygon. MODIFIER2 3-character code to show soil variations. The modifier applies to the soil name and the soil code. MODIFIER3 3-character code to show soil variations. The modifier applies to the soil name and the soil code. EXTENT1 Percent of the map occupied by a specific soil. EXTENT2 Percent of the map occupied by a specific soil. EXTENT3 Percent of the map occupied by a specific soil. The three SOIL_CODE and three MODIFIER attributes are associated with soil names. As explained above, they can be linked to the soil name and soil modifier values in the soil name and soil layer files. The items in the Saskatchewan soil names file include: UNKNOWN An unknown and undocumented attribute PROVINCE Province name (here they will all be SK for Sask. or MB for Manitoba) SOILNAME Name of soil SOIL_CODE A 3-character code identifying a soil MODIFIER Soil type modifier LU Land use KIND Kind of soil WATERTBL Water table characteristics ROOTRESTRI Soil layer that restricts root growth RESTR_TYPE Type of root restricting layer DRAINAGE Soil drainage class MDEP1 Mode of deposition for primary soil MDEP2 Mode of deposition for secondary soil MDEP3 Mode of deposition for tertiary soil ORDER Soil order S_GROUP Soil subgroup G_GROUP Great group PROFILE Header from Detail II file DATE Date of last revision A-THICK A horizon thickness SOL-THICK Soil thickness SOL-CHEM Soil chemistry PM-MODIFY Parent material modification PM-COMPLEX Parent material complex PMDEP2 Mode of deposition of second parent material deposition where a soil name is a complex of materials PM-CHEM Parent material chemistry PMTEXCLASS Parent material textural class TEXMODIFY Texture modification FAMPARTSIZ Soil family particle size PHYSIOG Physiography The soil layer file is also included with these data. The information in the soil names file can be linked to the soil layer file. The soil layer file provides information about the soil strata for a particular soil name. The attributes in the soil layer file include: PROVINCE Province name (here they will all be SK for Sask. or MB for Manitoba) SOIL_CODE A 3-character code identifying a soil MODIFIER Soil type modifier LU Land Use LAYER_NO Horizon number HZN_LIT Horizon lithological discontinuity HZN_MAS Master horizon (upper case) HZN_SUF Master suffix (lower case) HZN_MOD Horizon modifier UDEPTH Upper horizon depth (cm) LDEPTH Lower horizon depth (cm) COFRAG Coarse fragments (% by volume) DOMSAND Dominant sand fraction VFSAND Very fine sand (% by weight) TSAND Total sand (% by weight) TSILT Total silt (% by weight) TCLAY Total clay (% by weight) ORGCARB Organic carbon (% by weight) PHCA pH in calcium chloride PH2 pH as specified in project report BASES Base saturation CEC Cation exchange capacity (meq/100g) KSAT Saturated hydraulic conductivity (cm/h) KP0 Water retention at 0 kilopascals KP10 Water retention at 10 kilopascals KP33 Water retention at 33 kilopascals KP1500 Water retention at 1500 kilopascals (Water retention units are % by volume corrected for coarse fragment content.) BD Bulk density (g/cm3) EC Electrical conductivity (dS/m) CACO32 Calcium carbonate equivalent (%) VONPOST Von Post estimate of decomposition WOOD Volume (%) of woody material DATE Date of last revision 7.3.3 Unit of Measurement HECTARES - Hectares PROVINCE - None SOIL_CODE1 - None SOIL_CODE2 - None SOIL_CODE3 - None MODIFIER1 - None MODIFIER2 - None MODIFIER3 - None EXTENT1 - Percent EXTENT2 - Percent EXTENT3 - Percent SLOPEP1 - Percent SLOPEP2 - Percent SLOPEP3 - Percent 7.3.4 Data Source These data were acquired in ARC/INFO format from: Dr. Harold P.W. Rostad, Unit Head Agriculture Canada-Research-CLBRR/LRD Saskatchewan Land Resource Unit Room 5C26 Agriculture Building c/o The Soil Science Department University of Saskatchewan Campus Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N 0W0 7.3.5 Data Range See Section 7.3.2. 7.4 Sample Data Record Not applicable. 8. Data Organization 8.1 Data Granularity The smallest unit of data for this data set is the entire data set on tape. 8.2 Data Format(s) 8.2.1 Uncompressed Data Files This data set is stored in a single tar file. The files with an *.e00 extension are ARC/INFO EXPORT files. The *.pp files contain latitude/longitude bounds of the coverage as well as other information. The *.doc files provide background information about the production of the map and source materials that were used. The files contained within the one tar file are: skd019s.doc skd019s.e00 skd019s.pp skd020s.doc skd020s.e00 skd020s.pp skd053s.doc skd053s.e00 skd053s.pp skd054s.doc skd054s.e00 skd054s.pp skd055s.doc skd055s.e00 skd055s.pp skd056s.doc skd056s.e00 skd056s.pp skd057.doc skd057.pp skd057s.e00 skd058.doc skd058.pp skd058s.e00 skd059.doc skd059.pp skd059s.e00 skd060.doc skd060.pp skd060s.e00 skd061s.doc skd061s.e00 skd061s.pp skd113s.doc skd113s.e00 skd113s.pp skd114s.doc skd114s.e00 skd114s.pp skd115s.doc skd115s.e00 skd115s.pp skd144.doc skd144.pp skd144s.e00 skd145.doc skd145.pp skd145s.e00 skd146.doc skd146.pp skd146s.e00 skd147.doc skd147.pp skd147s.e00 skd148s.doc skd148s.e00 skd148s.pp skd182s.doc skd182s.e00 skd182s.pp snf.e00 Saskatchewan Soil Names File skslf.e00 Saskatchewan Soil Layer File The following information, which is needed to decode the Soil Names file, was extracted (with modifications) from an information sheet supplied by the Canadian Soil Information System (CanSIS): Column Name Coded Values ----------------- ------------- LU Land Use N Native Conditions A Agriculture KIND Kind of Soil M Mineral O Organic N Nonsoil U Unclassified WATERTBL Water table characteristics NO Not present any time YU Present during unspecified time YG Present during the growing season YN Present during nongrowing season YB Present during both seasons ROOTRESTR Soil Layer that restricts root growth -- Not applicable 0 Not present 1-9 Restricting layer number RESTR_TYPE Type of Root Restricting Layer -- Not applicable UN Undifferentiated BN Solonetzic B SA EC>4dS/m CT Compact (Basal) Till OR Ortstein FP Fragipan LI Lithic CR Cryic DU Duric PL Placic DRAINAGE Soil Drainage Class -- Not applicable VR Very Rapidly R Rapidly W Well MW Moderately Well I Imperfectly P Poorly VP Very Poorly MDEP1 Mode of Deposition for primary soil MDEP2 Mode of Deposition for secondary soil MDEP3 Mode of Deposition for tertiary soil -- Not Applicable ANTH Anthropogenic COLL Colluvial EOLI Eolian FLEO Fluvioeolian FLLC Fluviolacustrine FLUV Fluvial FNPT Fen Peat FOPT Forest Peat GLFL Glaciofluvial GLLC Glaciolacustrine GLMA Glaciomarine LACU Lacustrine LATL Lacustro-Till MARI Marine RESD Residual SAPR Saprolite SEPT Sedimentary Peat SPPT Sphagnum Moss TILL Till (Morainal) UNDM Undifferentiated mineral UNDO Undifferentiated organic VOLC Volcanic ORDER Soil Order -- Not Applicable BR Brunisolic CH Chernozemic CY Cryosolic GL Gleysolic LU Luvisolic OR Organic PZ Podzolic RG Regosolic SZ Solonetzic Soil Subgroup and Great Group. Characters before the dot (.) go into the S_GROUP (soil subgroup) field. Characters after the dot go into the G_GROUP (soil great group) field. -.- Not Applicable O.MB Orthic Melanic Brunisolic E.MB Eluviated Melanic Brunisol GL.MB Gleyed Melanic Brunisol GLE.MB Gleyed Eluviated Melanic Brunisol O.EB Orthic Eutric Brunisol E.EB Eluviated Eutric Brunisol GL.EB Gleyed Eutric Brunisol GLE.EB Gleyed Eluviated Eutric Brunisol O.SB Orthic Sombric Brunisol E.SB Eluviated Sombric Brunisol DU.SB Duric Sombric Brunisol GL.SB Gleyed Sombric Brunisol GLE.SB Gleyed Eluviated Sombric Brunisol O.DYB Orthic Dystric Brunisol E.DYB Eluviated Dystric Brunisol DU.DYB Duric Dystric Brunisol GL.DYB Gleyed Dystric Brunisol GLE.DYB Gleyed Eluviated Dystric Brunisol O.B Orthic Brown R.B Rego Brown CA.B Calcareous Brown E.B Eluviated Brown SZ.B Solonetzic Brown GL.B Gleyed Brown GLR.B Gleyed Rego Brown GLCA.B Gleyed Calcareous Brown GLE.B Gleyed Eluviated Brown GLSZ.B Gleyed Solonetzic Brown O.DB Orthic Dark Brown R.DB Rego Dark Brown CA.DB Calcareous Dark Brown E.DB Eluviated Dark Brown SZ.DB Solonetzic Dark Brown GL.DB Gleyed Dark Brown GLR.DB Gleyed Rego Dark Brown GLCA.DB Gleyed Calcareous Dark Brown GLE.DB Gleyed Eluviated Dark Brown GLSZ.DB Gleyed Solonetzic Dark Brown O.BL Orthic Black R.BL Rego Black CA.BL Calcareous Black E.BL Eluviated Black SZ.BL Solonetzic Black GL.BL Gleyed Black GLR.BL Gleyed Rego Black GLCA.BL Gleyed Calcareous Black GLE.BL Gleyed Eluviated Black GLSZ.BL Gleyed Solonetzic Black O.DG Orthic Dark Gray R.DG Rego Dark Gray CA.DG Calcareous Dark SZ.DG Solonetzic Dark Gray GL.DG Gleyed Dark Gray GLR.DG Gleyed Rego Dark Gray GLCA.DG Gleyed Calcareous Dark Gray GLSZ.DG Gleyed Solonetzic Dark Gray O.TC Orthic Turbic Cryosol BR.TC Brunisolic Turbic Cryosol R.TC Rego Turbic Cryosol GL.TC Gleysolic Turbic Cryosol O.SC Orthic Static Cryosol BR.SC Brunisolic Static Cryosol R.SC Regosolic Static Cryosol GL.SC Gleysolic Static Cryosol FI.OC Fibric Organic Cryosol ME.OC Mesic Organic Cryosol HU.OC Humic Organic Cryosol TFI.OC Terric Fibric Organic Cryosol TME.OC Terric Mesic Organic Cryosol THU.OC Terric Humic Organic Cryosol GC.OC Glacic Organic Cryosol O.HG Orthic Humic Gleysol R.HG Rego Humic Gleysol FE.HG Fera Humic Gleysol SZ.HG Solonetzic Humic Gleysol O.G Orthic Gleysol R.G Rego Gleysol FE.G Fera Gleysol SZ.G Solonetzic Gleysol O.LG Orthic Luvic Gleysol HU.LG Humic Luvic Gleysol FE.LG Fera Luvic Gleysol FR.LG Fragic Luvic Gleysol SZ.LG Solonetzic Luvic Gleysol O.GBL Orthic Gray Brown Luvisol BR.GBL Brunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol PZ.GBL Podzolic Gray Brown Luvisol GL.GBL Gleyed Gray Brown Luvisol GLBR.GBL Gleyed Brunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol GLPZ.GBL Gleyed Podzolic Gray Brown Luvisol O.GL Orthic Gray Luvisol D.GL Dark Gray Luvisol BR.GL Brunisolic Gray Luvisol PZ.GL Podzolic Gray Luvisol SZ.GL Solonetzic Gray Luvisol FR.GL Fragic Gray Luvisol GL.GL Gleyed Gray Luvisol GLD.GL Gleyed Dark Gray Luvisol GLBR.GL Gleyed Brunisolic Gray Luvisol GLPZ.GL Gleyed Podzolic Gray Luvisol GLSZ.GL Gleyed Solonetzic Gray Luvisol GLFR.GL Gleyed Fragic Gray Luvisol TY.F Typic Fibrisol ME.F Mesic Fibrisol HU.F Humic Fibrisol LM.F Limno Fibrisol CU.F Cumulo Fibrisol T.F Terric Fibrisol TME.F Terric Mesic Fibrisol THU.F Terric Humic Fibrisol HY.F Hydric Fibrisol TY.M Typic Mesisol FI.M Fibric Mesisol HU.M Humic Mesisol LM.M Limno Mesisol CU.M Cumulo Mesisol T.M Terric Mesisol TFI.M Terric Fibric Mesisol THU.M Terric Humic Mesisol HY.M Hydric Mesisol TY.H Typic Humisol FI.H Fibric Humisol ME.H Mesic Humisol LM.H Limno Humisol CU.H Cumulo Humisol T.H Terric Humisol TFI.H Terric Fibric Humisol TME.H Terric Mesic Humisol HY.H Hydric Humisol HE.FO Hemic Folisol HI.FO Histic Folisol HU.FO Humic Folisol LI.FO Lignic Folisol O.HP Orthic Humic Podzol OT.HP Ortstein Humic Podzol P.HP Placic Humic Podzol DU.HP Duric Humic Podzol FR.HP Fragic Humic Podzol O.FHP Orthic Ferro-Humic Podzol OT.FHP Ortstein Ferro-Humic Podzol P.FHP Placic Ferro-Humic Podzol DU.FHP Duric Ferro-Humic Podzol FR.FHP Fragic Ferro-Humic Podzol LU.FHP Luvisolic Ferro-Humic Podzol SM.FHP Sombric Ferro-Humic Podzol GL.FHP Gleyed Ferro-Humic Podzol GLSM.FHP Gleyed Sombric Ferro-Humic Podzol GLOT.FHP Gleyed Ortstein Ferro-Humic Podzol O.HFP Orthic Humo-Ferric Podzol OT.HFP Ortstein Humo-Ferric Podzol P.HFP Placic Humo-Ferric Podzol DU.HFP Duric Humo-Ferric Podzol FR.HFP Fragic Humo-Ferric Podzol LU.HFP Luvisolic Humo-Ferric Podzol GL.HFP Gleyed Humo-Ferric Podzol GLSM.HFP Gleyed Sombric Humo-Ferric Podzol SM.HFP Sombric Humo-Ferric Podzol GLOT.HFP Gleyed Ortstein Hu?o-Ferric Podzol O.R Orthic Regosol CU.R Cumulic Regosol GL.R Gleyed Regosol GLCU.R Gleyed Cumulic Regosol O.HR Orthic Humic Regosol CU.HR Cumulic Humic Regosol GL.HR Gleyed Humic Regosol GLCU.HR Gleyed Cumulic Humic Regosol B.SZ Brown Solonetz DB.SZ Dark Brown Solonetz BL.SZ Black Solonetz A.SZ Alkaline Solonetz GLB.SZ Gleyed Brown Solonetz GLDB.SZ Gleyed Dark Brown Solonetz GLBL.SZ Gleyed Black Solonetz B.SS Brown Solodized Solonetz DB.SS Dark Brown Solodized Solonetz BL.SS Black Solodized Solonetz DG.SS Dark Gray Solodized Solonetz G.SS Gray Solodized Solonetz GLB.SS Gleyed Brown Solodized Solonetz GLDB.SS Gleyed Dark Brown Solodized Solonetz GLBL.SS Gleyed Black Solodized Solonetz GLDG.SS Gleyed Dark Gray Solodized Solonetz GLG.SS Gleyed Gray Solodized Solonetz B.SO Brown Solod DB.SO Dark Brown Solod BL.SO Black Solod DG.SO Dark Gray Solod G.SO Gray Solod GLB.SO Gleyed Brown Solod GLDB.SO Gleyed Dark Brown Solod GLBL.SO Gleyed Black Solod GLDG.SO Gleyed Dark Gray Solod GLG.SO Gleyed Gray Solod PROFILE Header from Detail II File --------- --------------------------------- DATE YY.MM.DD Date of last revision A-THICK Thickness of A Horizon L20 less than 20 G20 greater than 20 SOL-THICK Soil thickness in centimeters 99 Not applicable SOL-CHEM Soil Chemistry UD Undifferentiated EA Extremely Acid AN Medium Acid to Neutral WC Weakly Calcareous VC Very Calcareous EC Extremely Calcareous SA Saline - Not applicable PM-MODIFY Parent Material Modification SHAL Shale CRET Cretaceous TERT Tertiary STON Stony contact LIME Limestone TECR Tertiary-Cretaceous NA Not applicable PM-COMPLEX Parent Material Complex COM Complex NA Not applicable PMDEP2 Parent Material Deposition for secondary soil -- Not Applicable ANTH Anthropogenic COLL Colluvial EOLI Eolian FLEO Fluvioeolian FLLC Fluviolacustrine FLUV Fluvial FNPT Fen Peat FOPT Forest Peat GLFL Glaciofluvial GLLC Glaciolacustrine GLMA Glaciomarine LACU Lacustrine LATL Lacustro-Till MARI Marine RESD Residual SAPR Saprolite SEPT Sedimentary Peat SPPT Sphagnum Moss TILL Till (Morainal) UNDM Undifferentiated mineral UNDO Undifferentiated organic VOLC Volcanic PM-CHEM Parent Material Chemistry UD Undifferentiated EA Extremely Acid AN Medium Acid to Neutral WC Weakly Calcareous VC Very Calcareous EC Extremely Calcareous SA Saline - Not applicable PMTEXCLASS Parent Material Textural Class VCS very coarse sand CS coarse sand LCS loamy coarse sand S sand FS fine sand LS loamy sand LFS loamy fine sand VFS very fine sand LVFS loamy very fine sand CSL coarse sandy loam SL sandy loam FSL fine sandy loam VFSL very fine sandy loam L loam SIL silt loam SCL sandy clay loam SICL silty clay loam CL clay loam C clay HC heavy clay O organic F fibric M mesic H humic NA not applicable TEXMODIFY Texture Modifier GR gravelly VG very gravelly WY woody NA not applicable FAMPARTS12 Family Particle Size UD undifferentiated FR fragmental SK skeletal SY sandy CL coarse loamy FL fine loamy LY loamy CY clayey SM stratified mineral SU stratified mineral and organic SO stratified organic OG organic WY woody FI fibric ME mesic HU humic RU bedrock undifferentiated RA bedrock acid RB bedrock basic RS bedrock soft NA not applicable PHYSIOG Physiography PHY physiographic NA not applicable The Soil Layer files contain the following information: Column Name Description ----------- ------------- PROVINCE Province abbreviation. SOIL_CODE The 3-character soil code, as in the Soil Name file. MODIFIER The 3-character modifier code, as in the Soil Name file. LU The land use code. See Soil Name file description above to decode. LAYER_NO The layer number for the soil. HZN_LIT Horizon lithological discontinuity. Decoding information for this is available from the CSSC (the meaning of this acronym unknown, it might mean something like "Canadian Soil Survey Code"). HZN_MAS Master Horizon (upper case). Decoding information for this is available from the CSSC. HZN_SUF Horizon suffix (lower case). Decoding information for this is available from the CSSC. HZN_MOD Horizon modifier. Decoding information for this is available from the CSSC. UDEPTH Upper horizon depth (cm). LDEPTH Lower horizon depth (cm). COFRAG Coarse fragments (% by volume). DOMSAND Dominant sand fraction. - Not applicable VC Very Coarse C Coarse M Medium F Fine VF Very Fine VFSAND Very fine sand (% by weight). TSAND Total sand (% by weight). TSILT Total silt (% by weight). TCLAY Total clay (% by weight). ORGCARB Organic carbon (% by weight). PHCA pH in calcium chloride. PH2 pH as specified in project report. BASES Base saturation (%). CEC Cation exchange capacity (meq/100g). KSAT Saturated hydraulic conductivity (cm/hour). KP0 Water retention at 0 kilopascals. KP10 Water retention at 10 kilopascals. KP33 Water retention at 33 kilopascals. KP1500 Water retention at 1500 kilopascals. Water retention units are % volume corrected for coarse fragment content. BD Bulk density (g/cm3). EC Electrical conductivity (deciSiemens/meter). CACO32 Calcium carbonate equivalent (%). VONPOST Von Post estimate of decomposition. WOOD Volume (%) of woody material. DATE Date of last revision. 8.2.2 Compressed CD-ROM Files On the BOREAS CD-ROMs, the single tar file has been compressed with the Gzip compression program (file name *.gz). These data have been compressed using gzip version 1.2.4 and the high compression (-9) option (Copyright (C) 1992-1993 Jean-loup Gailly). Gzip (GNU zip) uses the Lempel-Ziv algorithm (Welch, 1994) used in the zip and PKZIP programs. The compressed files may be uncompressed using gzip (-d option) or gunzip. Gzip is available from many websites (for example, ftp site prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/gzip-*.*) for a variety of operating systems in both executable and source code form. Versions of the decompression software for various systems are included on the CD-ROMs. 9. Data Manipulations 9.1 Formulae 9.1.1 Derivation Techniques and Algorithms Unknown. 9.2 Data Processing Sequence 9.2.1 Processing Steps 1) Copy and compress the file for release on CD-ROM. 9.2.2 Processing Changes None. 9.3 Calculations 9.3.1 Special Corrections/Adjustments Unknown. 9.3.2 Calculated Variables Unknown. 9.4 Graphs and Plots None. 10. Errors 10.1 Sources of Error A potential source of error in the original data set could be digitizing error. There is also the possibility of coding errors in the attributes. The value of an attribute could have been keyed in incorrectly. There is some question about the positional accuracy of the data. Although the data are mapped at a scale of 1:125,000, the source of the mapping is aerial photography that was not orthocorrected. Therefore, the soils mapping may contain distortions that exist in the air photos. This problem can be mitigated by "rubber sheeting" the data to an accurate map base, or acquiring the original air photos and compensating for their distortions. However, the minor benefits of improved positional accuracy would probably not be worth the time and effort of correcting all of these data. 10.2 Quality Assessment 10.2.1 Data Validation by Source Unknown. 10.2.2 Confidence Level/Accuracy Judgment The source in Canada from whom these data were received has strong caveats about the use of the data. These data are constantly being updated as new data are collected and become available. These data represent broad generalizations about the soil characteristics of this area. Caution is to be used when inferring information from the data. 10.2.3 Measurement Error for Parameters Unknown. 10.2.4 Additional Quality Assessments Unknown. 10.2.5 Data Verification by Data Center No quality assessment of these data was performed beyond displaying the data set to make sure that it appeared to be a digital soils map covering an area of Saskatchewan. 11. Notes 11.1 Limitations of the Data Sharp discontinuities may exist along map boundaries. These differences could be a result of coding and mapping variations between adjacent maps. 11.2 Known Problems with the Data The original vector data apparently were digitized from aerial photography that was not orthometrically corrected. Therefore, the location accuracy of the soil polygons may not be as accurate as one might expect. 11.3 Usage Guidance Users of these data should be cautious about inferring information from this data set and extending those inferences over a larger area. The polygons from the original data set are large and may have small inclusions of various soil types that are not mapped in these data layers. Before uncompressing the Gzip file on CD-ROM, be sure that you have enough disk space to hold the uncompressed data files. Then use the appropriate decompression program provided on the CD-ROM for your specific system. 11.4 Other Relevant Information Unknown. 12. Application of the Data Set The original intended use of these data is unknown. Users from the BOREAS project might use these data for hydrological modeling or some other ecosystem modeling activity. 13. Future Modifications and Plans None. 14. Software 14.1 Software Description A GIS software package called ARC/INFO (Versions 6 and 7) was used to grid these data. Gzip (GNU zip) uses the Lempel-Ziv algorithm (Welch, 1994) used in the zip and PKZIP commands. 14.2 Software Access ARC/INFO is a proprietary software package produced by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), Redlands, CA. Gzip is available from many websites across the net (for example) ftp site prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/gzip-*.*) for a variety of operating systems in both executable and source code form. Versions of the decompression software for various systems are included on the CD-ROMs. 15. Data Access 15.1 Contact Information Ms. Beth McCowan BOREAS Data Manager NASA/GSFC Greenbelt, MD (301) 286-4005 (301) 286-0239 (fax) beth@ltpmail.gsfc.nasa.gov 15.2 Data Center Identification See Section 15.1. 15.3 Procedures for Obtaining Data Users may place requests by telephone, electronic mail, or fax. 15.4 Data Center Status/Plans The SSA vector soils data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The BOREAS contact at ORNL is: ORNL DAAC User Services Oak Ridge National Laboratory (865) 241-3952 ornldaac@ornl.gov ornl@eos.nasa.gov 16. Output Products and Availability 16.1 Tape Products These data can be made available on 8-mm, Digital Archive Tape (DAT), or 9-track tapes at 6250 or 1600 Bytes Per Inch (BPI). 16.2 Film Products None. 16.3 Other Products These data are available on the BOREAS CD-ROM series. 17. References 17.1 Platform/Sensor/Instrument/Data Processing Documentation Welch, T.A. 1984, A Technique for High Performance Data Compression, IEEE Computer, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp. 8 - 19. 17.2 Journal Articles and Study Reports Acton, D.F., G.A. Padbury, and J.A. Shields. 1991. Soil Landscapes of Canada- Saskatchewan Digital Map Data; Scale 1:1000000; CanSIS No. SK018200, Version 90.11.30; CLBRR Archive, Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Ottawa, Canada (CLBRR Contribution No. 91-107D). Padbury, G.A and J.A. Shields. 1991. Soil Landscapes of Canada-Saskatchewan Soil Landscapes Polygon Attribute Digital Data. CanSIS No. SK018200, version 90.11.30; CLBRR Archive, Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Ottawa, Canada (CLBRR Contribution No. 91-108D). Sellers, P.and F. Hall. 1994. Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study: Experiment Plan. Version 1994-3.0, NASA BOREAS Report (EXPLAN 94). Sellers, P.and F. Hall. 1996. Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study: Experiment Plan. Version 1996-2.0, NASA BOREAS Report (EXPLAN 96). Sellers, P.and F. Hall, K.F. Huemmrich. 1996. Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study: 1994 Operations. NASA BOREAS Report (OPSDOC 94). Sellers, P., F. Halland K.F. Huemmrich. 1997. Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study: 1996 Operations. NASA BOREAS Report (OPSDOC 96). Sellers, P., F. Hall, H. Margolis, B. Kelly, D. Baldocchi, G. den Hartog, J. Cihlar, M.G. Ryan, B. Goodison, P. Crill, K.J. Ranson, D. Lettenmaier, and D.E. Wickland. 1995. The boreal ecosystem-atmosphere study (BOREAS): an overview and early results from the 1994 field year. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 76(9):1549-1577. Sellers, P.and F. Hall. 1997. BOREAS Overview Paper. JGR Special Issue (in press). 17.3 Archive/DBMS Usage Documentation None. 18. Glossary of Terms None. 19. List of Acronyms ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange BOREAS - BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study BORIS - BOREAS Information System BPI - Bytes per Inch CanSIS - Canadian Soil Information System DAAC - Distributed Active Archive Center EOS - Earth Observing System EOSDIS - EOS Data and Information System ESRI - Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. GIS - Geographic Information System GSFC - Goddard Space Flight Center NAD27 - North American Datum of 1927 NAD83 - North American Datum of 1983 NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration NSA - Northern Study Area ORNL - Oak Ridge National Laboratory PANP - Prince Albert National Park SSA - Southern Study Area URL - Uniform Resource Locator UTM - Universal Transverse Mercator 20. Document Information 20.1 Document Revision Dates Written: 02-Dec-1994 Last Updated: 06-Feb-2001 20.2 Document Review Dates BORIS Review: 20-Jun-1997 Science Review: 20.3 Document ID 20.4 Citation 20.5 Document Curator 20.6 Document URL Keywords SOILS SOIL CHEMISTRY SOIL TYPE SSA_Soils_125K_Vector.doc 02/06/2001