Parent material name is a term for the general physical, chemical,

and mineralogical composition of the unconsolidated material, mineral

or organic, in which the soil forms. Mode of deposition and/or weathering

may be implied by the name.

The soil surveyor uses parent material to develop a model used for soil

mapping. Soil scientists and specialists in other disciplines use parent

material to help interpret soil boundaries and project performance of

the material below the soil. Many soil properties relate to parent material.

Among these properties are proportions of sand, silt, and clay; chemical

content; bulk density; structure; and the kinds and amounts of rock fragments.

These properties affect interpretations and may be criteria used to separate

soil series. Soil properties and landscape information may imply the kind of

parent material.

For each soil in the database, one or more parent materials may be identified.

One is marked as the representative or most commonly occurring.The representative

parent material name is presented here.

This data set is a digital soil survey and generally is the most

detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National

Cooperative Soil Survey. The information was prepared by digitizing

maps, by compiling information onto a planimetric correct base

and digitizing, or by revising digitized maps using remotely

sensed and other information.

This data set consists of georeferenced digital map data and

computerized attribute data. The map data are in a soil survey area

extent format and include a detailed, field verified inventory

of soils and miscellaneous areas that normally occur in a repeatable

pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at

the scale mapped. The soil map units are linked to attributes in the

National Soil Information System relational database, which gives

the proportionate extent of the component soils and their properties.