Official Series Description


Lab Data Summary

Aggregate lab data for the ATHENA soil series. This aggregation is based on all pedons with a current taxon name of ATHENA, and applied along 1-cm thick depth slices. Solid lines are the slice-wise median, bounded on either side by the interval defined by the slice-wise 5th and 95th percentiles. The median is the value that splits the data in half. Five percent of the data are less than the 5th percentile, and five percent of the data are greater than the 95th percentile. Values along the right hand side y-axis describe the proportion of pedon data that contribute to aggregate values at this depth. For example, a value of "90%" at 25cm means that 90% of the pedons correlated to ATHENA were used in the calculation. Source: KSSL snapshot . Methods used to assemble the KSSL snapshot used by SoilWeb / SDE

Click the image to view it full size.

Pedons used in the lab summary:

MLRALab IDPedon IDTaxonnameCINSSL / NASIS ReportsLink To SoilWeb GMap
986P006385WA075001Athena7Primary | Supplementary | Taxonomy | Pedon | Water Retention | Correlation | Andic Soil Properties46.8938904,-117.6141663
986P006485WA075002Athena7Primary | Supplementary | Taxonomy | Pedon | Water Retention | Correlation | Andic Soil Properties46.9533348,-117.5541687
986P007885WA075016Athena7Primary | Supplementary | Taxonomy | Pedon | Water Retention | Correlation | Andic Soil Properties46.9538879,-117.5541687
940A0952S1949OR059004ATHENA3Primary | Supplementary | Taxonomy | Pedon | Water Retention | Correlation | Andic Soil Properties45.7961121,-118.4372253
940A1026S1951WA071004Athena3Primary | Supplementary | Taxonomy | Pedon | Water Retention | Correlation | Andic Soil Properties46.0663872,-118.2222214
940A1020S1961WA013003ATHENA3Primary | Supplementary | Taxonomy | Pedon | Water Retention | Correlation | Andic Soil Properties46.2627792,-118.0761108
905N0553S2005WA063001Athena6Primary | Supplementary | Taxonomy | Pedon | Water Retention | Correlation | Andic Soil Properties47.3390889,-117.6998556

Water Balance

Monthly water balance estimated using a leaky-bucket style model for the ATHENA soil series. Monthly precipitation (PPT) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) have been estimated from the 50th percentile of gridded values (PRISM 1981-2010) overlapping with the extent of SSURGO map units containing each series as a major component. Monthly PET values were estimated using the method of Thornthwaite (1948). These (and other) climatic parameters are calculated with each SSURGO refresh and provided by the fetchOSD function of the soilDB package. Representative water storage values (“AWC” in the figures) were derived from SSURGO by taking the 50th percentile of profile-total water storage (sum[awc_r * horizon thickness]) for each soil series. Note that this representation of “water storage” is based on the average ability of most plants to extract soil water between 15 bar (“permanent wilting point”) and 1/3 bar (“field capacity”) matric potential. Soil moisture state can be roughly interpreted as “dry” when storage is depleted, “moist” when storage is between 0mm and AWC, and “wet” when there is a surplus. Clearly there are a lot of assumptions baked into this kind of monthly water balance. This is still a work in progress.

Click the image to view it full size.



Click the image to view it full size.

Sibling Summary

Siblings are those soil series that occur together in map units, in this case with the ATHENA series. Sketches are arranged according to their subgroup-level taxonomic structure. Source: SSURGO snapshot , parsed OSD records and snapshot of SC database .

Click the image to view it full size.

Select annual climate data summaries for the ATHENA series and siblings. Series are sorted according to hierarchical clustering of median values. Source: SSURGO map unit geometry and 1981-2010, 800m PRISM data .

Click the image to view it full size.

Geomorphic description summaries for the ATHENA series and siblings. Series are sorted according to hierarchical clustering of proportions and relative hydrologic position within an idealized landform (e.g. top to bottom). Most soil series (SSURGO components) are associated with a hillslope position and one or more landform-specific positions: hills, mountain slopes, terraces, and/or flats. Proportions can be interpreted as an aggregate representation of geomorphic membership. The values printed to the left (number of component records) and right (Shannon entropy) of stacked bars can be used to judge the reliability of trends. Small Shannon entropy values suggest relatively consistent geomorphic association, while larger values suggest lack thereof. Source: SSURGO component records .

Click the image to view it full size.

Click the image to view it full size.

There are insufficient data to create the 3D mountains figure.

Click the image to view it full size.

Click the image to view it full size.

Competing Series

Soil series competing with ATHENA share the same family level classification in Soil Taxonomy. Source: parsed OSD records and snapshot of the SC database .

Click the image to view it full size.

Select annual climate data summaries for the ATHENA series and competing. Series are sorted according to hierarchical clustering of median values. Source: SSURGO map unit geometry and 1981-2010, 800m PRISM data .

Click the image to view it full size.

Geomorphic description summaries for the ATHENA series and competing. Series are sorted according to hierarchical clustering of proportions and relative hydrologic position within an idealized landform (e.g. top to bottom). Proportions can be interpreted as an aggregate representation of geomorphic membership. Most soil series (SSURGO components) are associated with a hillslope position and one or more landform-specific positions: hills, mountain slopes, terraces, and/or flats. The values printed to the left (number of component records) and right (Shannon entropy) of stacked bars can be used to judge the reliability of trends. Shannon entropy values close to 0 represent soil series with relatively consistent geomorphic association, while values close to 1 suggest lack thereof. Source: SSURGO component records .

Click the image to view it full size.

Click the image to view it full size.

There are insufficient data to create the 3D mountains figure.

Click the image to view it full size.

There are insufficient data to create the 3D flats position figure.

Soil series sharing subgroup-level classification with ATHENA, arranged according to family differentiae. Hovering over a series name will print full classification and a small sketch from the OSD. Source: snapshot of SC database .

Block Diagrams

Click a link below to display the diagram. Note that these diagrams may be from multiple survey areas.

  1. WA-2012-05-11-03 | Whitman County - April 1980

    Typical landscape in the Athena association (Soil Survey of Whitman County, Washington; April 1980).

  2. WA-2012-05-11-04 | Whitman County - April 1980

    Typical landscape in the Athena-Calouse association (Soil Survey of Whitman County, Washington; April 1980).

  3. WA-2012-05-11-10 | Whitman County - April 1980

    Typical landscape in the Palouse-Athena association (Soil Survey of Whitman County, Washington; April 1980).

  4. WA-2012-05-11-13 | Whitman County - April 1980

    Typical landscape in the Kuhl-Alpowa association (Soil Survey of Whitman County, Washington; April 1980).

Map Units

Map units containing ATHENA as a major component. Limited to 250 records.

Map Unit Name Symbol Map Unit Area (ac) Map Unit Key National Map Unit Symbol Soil Survey Area Publication Date Map Scale
Athena-Palouse complex, 7 to 25 percent slopes4181024872492ph5vid05720131:24000
Athena silt loam, moist, 0 to 8 percent slopes2vz5930624872482vz59id05720131:24000
Palouse-Athena complex, 8 to 20 percent slopes1076034795712nstid61119941:24000
Palouse-Athena complex, 2 to 8 percent slopes1062839795702nssid61119941:24000
Athena silt loam, 20 to 45 percent slopes10553795632nskid61119941:24000
Almota-Athena-Hatwai complex, 45 to 65 percent slopes5479796622nwrid61119941:24000
Athena silt loam, moist, 0 to 8 percent slopes2vz5912929278382vz59id61119941:24000
Athena silt loam, 1 to 7 percent slopes8B45371645822569or66719841:20000
Athena silt loam, 7 to 12 percent slopes8C989564583256bor66719841:20000
Athena silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes2vz5b26226512902vz5bwa04319781:24000
Athena silt loam, 0 to 8 percent slopes2vz5813926512892vz58wa04319781:24000
Athena-Lance complex, 15 to 30 percent slopes2vz5h4426512912vz5hwa04319781:24000
Athena silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes2vz5b96196212172vz5bwa06320121:24000
Athena-Lance complex, 15 to 30 percent slopes2vz5h923529474352vz5hwa06320121:24000
Athena silt loam, 0 to 8 percent slopes2vz58305318565272vz58wa06320121:24000
Athena-Lance complex, 30 to 60 percent slopes2vz5j135129474342vz5jwa06320121:24000
Athena silt loam, 7 to 25 percent slopes2vz5d175794685902vz5dwa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, 25 to 40 percent slopes2vz5f18467684892vz5fwa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, 0 to 8 percent slopes2vz581102826513602vz58wa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, moist, 7 to 25 percent slopes2vz5c1078829474312vz5cwa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, moist, 0 to 8 percent slopes2vz594705685792vz59wa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, 40 to 55 percent slopes2vz5g336929474332vz5gwa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, 7 to 25 percent slopes, eroded10119568478297zwa07519751:20000
Athena-Lance complex, 15 to 30 percent slopes2vz5h45826513622vz5hwa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes2vz5b30326513612vz5bwa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, 25 to 40 percent slopes, eroded121568500298pwa07519751:20000
Athena silt loam, 8 to 25 percent slopesAtD49676696362bgbwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, 25 to 40 percent slopesAtE17119696382bgdwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, 0 to 8 percent slopesAtB6783696352bg9wa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, 25 to 40 percent slopes, severely erodedAtE33923696392bgfwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, 40 to 55 percent slopesAtF3766696402bggwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, 8 to 25 percent slopes, severely erodedAtD31158696372bgcwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, 40 to 55 percent slopes, severely erodedAtF3829696412bghwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, moderately shallow, 0 to 15 percent slopesAuC518696422bgjwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, moderately shallow, 25 to 40 percent slopes, erodedAuE2499696442bglwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, moderately shallow, 15 to 25 percent slopes, erodedAuD2417696432bgkwa61319671:20000
Athena silt loam, 7 to 25 percent slopesAoD24626697822bm1wa62319701:20000
Athena-Spofford silt loams, 0 to 15 percent slopesAtC20839697932bmdwa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, calcareous substratum, 7 to 25 percent slopesApD15828697862bm5wa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, 0 to 7 percent slopesAoB13090697812bm0wa62319701:20000
Athena-Lance silt loams, 10 to 40 percent slopes, erodedAsE212180697922bmcwa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, 25 to 40 percent slopesAoE8202697832bm2wa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, calcareous substratum, 0 to 7 percent slopesApB7651697852bm4wa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, moderately shallow, 7 to 25 percent slopesArD4919697902bm9wa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, 40 to 55 percent slopesAoF3442697842bm3wa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, moderately shallow, 25 to 40 percent slopesArE2788697912bmbwa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, calcareous substratum, 25 to 40 percent slopesApE2620697872bm6wa62319701:20000
Athena-Spofford silt loams, 15 to 30 percent slopesAtD2491697942bmfwa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, calcareous substratum, 40 to 65 percent slopesApF1751697882bm7wa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, moderately shallow, 0 to 7 percent slopesArB1498697892bm8wa62319701:20000
Athena silt loam, 8 to 30 percent slopesAtD24517712872d5lwa67119611:31680
Athena silt loam, 30 to 45 percent slopesAtE3904712892d5nwa67119611:31680
Athena silt loam, 0 to 8 percent slopesAtB3775712862d5kwa67119611:31680
Athena silt loam, 30 to 45 percent slopes, erodedAtE2427712902d5pwa67119611:31680
Athena silt loam, 8 to 30 percent slopes, erodedAtD2248712882d5mwa67119611:31680

Map of Series Extent

Approximate geographic distribution of the ATHENA soil series. To learn more about how this distribution was mapped, or to compare this soil series extent to others, use the Series Extent Explorer (SEE) application. Source: generalization of SSURGO geometry .