2016 Nationals: Manhattan, KS - Day #7

Today was the individual contest - the day was sunny and just *slightly* breezy on the high prairies of the Flint Hills: 35 mph sustained wind with gusts to 45 mph! Regardless, our team was excited to get to the contest pits (pictures below). Tomorrow is the team portion of the contest and tonight our students will be preparing for that - more updates to come after the team pits!

Teng Vang works on his description sheet at the first individual pit

Andrea Williams on the pit face starting her first pit of the day.

Luke Ratgen (second from right in pit) begins his individual description

Sondra Larson and Bri Egge (second and first from left, respectively) work side-by-side

Amanda Wolff (front left) and Allison Harvey (camo coat on right) begin their descriptions.

2016 Nationals: Manhattan, KS - Day #6

Today the team finished the final practice pits at the Mengel farm, just west of Randolph, KS. The group described four pits, a Haplustoll formed in residuum at a shoulder position, two Argiustolls on backslopes, and an Argiustoll on a stream terrace.

The team finished the day with an excellent (!) scorecard, so spirits are high. Tomorrow the contest begins with individual judging (3 pits) and Friday there will be two team judged pits.

I am continually impressed by the dedication, professionalism and hunger for knowledge displayed by our students. Soil judging is about the journey and the experience and education gained along the way - by any measure these students have achieved great things. 20 pits described in 6 days!

Goldy assists in a group judge of a Haplustoll formed in limestone residuum

Please join me in wishing our students the best of luck tomorrow. They are at one with their textural triangles.

2016 Nationals: Manhattan, KS - Day #5

Today our team traveled to Rannells Prairie (KSU property - unplowed prairie) to describe 4 Argiustoll pits: one on a summit, two on backslopes and a fourth on a footslope. We started our descriptions just as the sun was rising, it was extremely windy all day - and tomorrow is supposed to be even windier! 

Nick Vetsch, Luke Ratgen, Andrea Williams and Rusty Zimmerman looking for slickensides in an Argiustoll

Judging as the sun comes up (from left): Luke Ratgen, Amanda Wolff, Sondra Larson, Teng Vang, Rusty Zimmerman

Rannells Prairie Landscape

2016 Nationals: Manhattan, KS - Day #4

The team had the opportunity to describe 5 practice pits today, four of which were just a short drive from our hotel at the KSU Agronomy Farm North on the outskirts of Manhattan. At this site, the contest organizers had prepared a nice set of 4 pits along a catena (a Paleustoll on a summit, two Argiustolls on a backslope/footslope, and a Haplustoll on a stream terrace):

KSU Agronomy Farm North Catena

Sondra Larson completing an individual description sheet

Platy structure in an Ap horizon

Our day along this catena was split by a visit to another pit ~ 20 minutes away - an Ustipsamment with lamellae formed in reworked outwash (dune sand). We shared this pit with ISU - both team immediately started looking for lamellae thanks to their experience at Regionals in Grand Rapids this past fall.

Region V Reunited: Iowa State (foreground - in pit) and Minnesota (background left) share an Ustipsamment pit. Thanks to Amber Anderson-Mba (ISU) for timing this one!

We then headed back to the KSU Agronomy Farm North to complete our descriptions along the catena before linking up with the rest of the teams to go on a bus tour of the Bison enclosure at Konza prairie LTER:

Bison and wallow (foreground), Konza Prairie LTER

2016 Minnesota National Soil Judging Team (from left): Top Row - Nick Vetsch, Bri Egge, Sondra Larson, Stefan Swenson, Andrea Williams, Allison Harvey. Bottom Row - Rusty Zimmerman (Captain) Teng Vang, Mekuria Zemede, Luke Ratgen, Amanda Wolff

2016 Nationals: Manhattan, KS - Day #3

Today the team traveled northeast out of Manhattan to Pottawatomie County, KS, our first look at a Pre-Illinoian glacial landscape. Along the way, we crossed stream terraces, outwash sediments and dunes, and finally up onto a till mantled landscape. This Pre-Illinoian till mantle was expressed most strongly on summit positions, and eroded or mixed/incoporated into colluvial/pedisediment-like material on backslopes. The team described four pits (all Argiustolls): Two pits on backslopes formed in colluvium/pedisediment over residuum, one on a backslope formed in glacial till over residuum, and finally a summit pit formed in glacial till:

Minnesota Team A completing a team description of an Argiustoll on a summit

Minnesota Team B completing a team description

Panoramic view of four pits on the Brunkow Farm site

Argiustoll pits at the Brunkow Farm site

The character of the Pre-Illinoian till that the students encountered was different from much of what we see further north, but unmistakably till in its unsorted textures (Clay Loams), and presence of coarse fragments of varying lithologies and sizes.

Sioux Quartizite erratics and sedimentary coarse fragments from spoil pile

The surface was exposed and eroded on a pasture just across the fence from pit P-17, showing us the quartzite erratics and other coarse fragments present in the till:

Exposed and eroded surface in pasture showing coarse fragments present in till (note quartzite erratic in foreground).

The team also had their first look at some Kansas slickensides, well developed clay films, prismatic structure, and many forms of secondary carbonates:

Slickensides

Secondary carbonate accumulations

Prismatic structure with slickensides (top and bottom) and clay films from a Btss horizon

The following video is for my Basic Soil Science students (if you are even reading this ;)): What is happening in this video?:

2016 Nationals: Prelude - Day #2

The team spent the first part of a bright and sunny day by describing three pits: Two Paleudalfs (a shoulder and a terrace) on the broad upland landscape of the Springfield Plateau, followed by an Argiduoll in a floodplain, all at Missouri State University's Southwest Research Center (thanks Tom!) just outside of Mt. Vernon, MO.

Several characteristics of these soils that were novel for our students are the large amount of coarse fragments in the cherty/dolomitic residuum, and the deep reds in some of the subsoil horizons. Ever used the 10R page? Our team has now! Ever scavenged the fine earth from between coarse fragments to get enough material to texture? 

10R soil material formed in dolomitic/cherty residuum under pedisediment.

Andrea Williams, Teng Vang, Sondra Larson, and Nick Vetsch compare estimates of soil texture.

A Paleudalf on a shoulder position

Our team geologist, Amanda Wolff, immediately set to work with a rock hammer, patiently describing to her peers the difference between limestone and dolomite as well as their field characteristics and identification.

A Paleudalf on a terrace

Lastly, the team described something more familiar to our Minnesota tastes - an Argiduoll with a buried A horizon formed in alluvium on a floodplain - 10YR colors ;).

We left Mt. Vernon and made the final leg of our journey to Manhattan, KS. We ate dinner, bought groceries for the week, and had a team meeting before packing the vans for tomorrow's first practice pits. So we have reached the end of the beginning. We are at one with our textural triangles.

2016 Nationals: Prelude - Day #1

After a pre-dawn link-up outside of Borlaug Hall, the team hit the road full of energy. Although you may not be able to see it in the picture below, Minnesota gave us some snow as a fitting send-off!

UMN Soil Judging Team packed and ready to roll outside of Borlaug Hall

We have big pre-contest plans...the team is using Friday and Saturday to look at soils throughout the region, in Iowa and Missouri, prior to arriving at KSU on Saturday afternoon. This is a critical learning experience and will enable the team to put the soils they will see in Kansas in a broader, regional context. We made our way south through the Des Moines Lobe till plain to our first stop mid-morning in Ames, IA, where we shook the rust off by describing a Hapludoll (individual) and Hapludalf (team) at the ISU Reactor Woods site (thanks Amber!):

Hapludoll on a summit position - ISU Reactor Woods site.

Hapludalf (Lester!), with an assist from Goldy.

The team immediately set to work and was eager to finally get their hands on some "real" soils (not the domesticated kind we keep around Borlaug) after a winter out of the field:

Minnesota A members Andrea Williams, Nick Vetsch, and Luke Ratgen in the pit while others contemplate major horizon boundaries and landscape context.

Minnesota B members Stefan Swenson and Mekuria Zemede evaluating structure type and grade.

Once the team completed their descriptions we had discussions about genesis, landscape variability, and geomorphology before hitting the road. After a brief dinner stop just south of Kansas City, Missouri, we arrived in Mt. Vernon, Missouri for the night. Tomorrow's agenda - more warm-up soils and a much anticipated arrival in Manhattan, KS!