According to USDA (1981), the annual
precipitation is 1,175 mm, with about 525 mm falling during the growing
season, the average annual temperature is 13°C, and the average freeze-free
period is 175 days.
Conglomeritic sandstone, siltstone,
shale, and coal are the major rock types of the Cumberland Plateau. These
rocks, from the Paleozoic Era, are of the Pennsylvanian period and are
underlain by shales, limestone, and dolomite of the Mississippian period.
Coal and petroleum are important natural resources of this area.
The occurrence of soil series and associated
properties for MLRA 125 are summarized in Table
1. STATSGO soils are depicted in Fig. 1. The soils in MLRA 125 are
predominantly shallow and formed in sandstone and shales. The pedon selected
from Cumberland County represents the Cumberland Plateau developed in Pennsylvanian
sandstone. Soil morphology, classification, and parent material are presented
in Table 2. Total elemental concentrations
are presented in Table 3.
MLRA 125 lies in the Appalachian Plateaus
subregion of the Appalachian Plateaus and Valley and Ridge ground water
region of North America. The topography in this subregion is generally
a series of sloping, uplifted, dissected plateaus capped by resistant layers
(frequently sandstone). The topography is characterized by deep, steep-sided
valleys and escarpments. Altitudes within the subregion range from 500
to 600 m above mean sea level, but may exceed 1000 m in some locations.
The rocks of the subregion are gently folded or flat lying; fractures and
jointing are common. Secondary permeability in joints and stress-fractures
accounts for most of the porosity and permeability in this area (Back et
The regolith is very thin and most ground
water is stored in joints and fractures of the rocks. Dynamic flow systems
generally occur within 100 m of the land surface and very infrequently
below 200 m (Back et al., 1988). Springs are common along the sides of
the plateaus. Few aquifers of regional extent are known.
The chemistry of the water in the MLRA
is quite variable, typically slightly acidic, and low in dissolved solids
(Zurawski, 1978). The ground water often reflects the chemistry of the
rocks in the aquifer.
and Solute Transport
Soils of MLRA 125 include shallow soils
developed on sandstone bedrock. Many soils are forested and their water
and solute transport behavior may have similarities with the shallow forest
soils developed on shale parent material discussed for MLRA 128. No specific
information was found on the water and solute transport attributes of MLRA
Back, W., J.S. Rosenshein, and P.R.
Seaber, editors. 1988. Hydrogeology: The geology of North America, Volume
O-2. The Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado.
Mote, C.R., J.R. Buchanan, and J.T. Ammons.
1995. Evaluation of the performance of on-site domestic wastewater systems
specified for sites with shallow soils. Applied Engineering in Agriculture.
Society of Agricultural Engineers 11(3):437-437.
USDA-SCS. 1981. Land Resource Regions
and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States. Agriculture Handbook
296. Washington, DC.
Zurawski, A. 1976. Summary appraisals
of the nationís ground water resources; Tennessee Region. p. 35. U.S. Geological
Survey Professional Paper 813-L.