Describing Myra soil and landscape
Left Photo: Describing Myra soil and landscape
John Kelley, Soil Survey Project Leader for the Soil Survey of Pike County, KY, stands at the edge of a reclaimed mine site, describing a newly formed soil derived from overburden—the displaced material from mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining. MTR is a method of surface mining where entire summits are blasted away to access underlying coal seams. The resulting spoil, a mix of fractured rock and soil, is redistributed across adjacent valleys and slopes.
This site represents a transitional landscape—where geology, mining history, and pedogenesis intersect. The soil here is not a legacy soil shaped by centuries of natural processes, but a technogenic soil, formed in the aftermath of industrial disturbance. Its genesis reflects both the calcareous nature of the spoil and the early stages of horizon development, offering a rare opportunity to document soil formation in real time. Kelley’s field notes and diagnostic observations contribute to the formal recognition of a new soil series, shaped by human activity yet governed by natural recovery.
Center Photo: Landscape Reimagined
This photo captures the newly formed terrain resulting from MTR operations—an engineered landscape of broad benches, steep fill slopes, and recontoured ridgelines. Once forested and dissected by hollows, the land has been reshaped into a mosaic of reclaimed surfaces. Vegetation is in early succession, with grasses, legumes, and pioneer hardwoods establishing cover over the loose, rocky substrate.
Despite its industrial origin, this landscape is undergoing ecological renewal. Soil formation begins with the weathering of spoil material, root penetration, and organic matter accumulation. Over time, these processes will evolve, reflecting the unique parent material and hydrologic conditions of reclaimed mine lands. The photo invites reflection on the resilience of Appalachian ecosystems and the role of soil scientists in documenting their transformation.
Right Photo: Profile of the Myra Soil Series
This soil profile represents the Myra series, a soil formally recognized in Pike County, KY, and West Virginia. Myra soils are very deep, well-drained soils formed in calcareous materials derived from coal mine overburden—a mix of siltstone, shale, sandstone, and minor coal fragments. The regolith is loamy-skeletal, with high rock fragment content and moderate to moderately slow permeability.
• Taxonomic class: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Udorthents
• Solum depth: >60 inches
• Rock fragments: 35–70% in the control section; mostly channers and flagstones
• Reaction: Slightly to moderately alkaline; very slightly effervescent
• Structure: Weak angular blocky in surface; massive below
• Color: Dominantly gray and grayish brown hues, reflecting spoil origin
This profile exemplifies the diagnostic complexity of soils formed in anthropogenic parent materials. It also underscores the importance of soil survey work in documenting post-mining landscapes—not just for classification, but for guiding reclamation, land use planning, and ecological restoration.
Describing Myra soil and landscape
Left Photo: Describing Myra soil and landscape
John Kelley, Soil Survey Project Leader for the Soil Survey of Pike County, KY, stands at the edge of a reclaimed mine site, describing a newly formed soil derived from overburden—the displaced material from mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining. MTR is a method of surface mining where entire summits are blasted away to access underlying coal seams. The resulting spoil, a mix of fractured rock and soil, is redistributed across adjacent valleys and slopes.
This site represents a transitional landscape—where geology, mining history, and pedogenesis intersect. The soil here is not a legacy soil shaped by centuries of natural processes, but a technogenic soil, formed in the aftermath of industrial disturbance. Its genesis reflects both the calcareous nature of the spoil and the early stages of horizon development, offering a rare opportunity to document soil formation in real time. Kelley’s field notes and diagnostic observations contribute to the formal recognition of a new soil series, shaped by human activity yet governed by natural recovery.
Center Photo: Landscape Reimagined
This photo captures the newly formed terrain resulting from MTR operations—an engineered landscape of broad benches, steep fill slopes, and recontoured ridgelines. Once forested and dissected by hollows, the land has been reshaped into a mosaic of reclaimed surfaces. Vegetation is in early succession, with grasses, legumes, and pioneer hardwoods establishing cover over the loose, rocky substrate.
Despite its industrial origin, this landscape is undergoing ecological renewal. Soil formation begins with the weathering of spoil material, root penetration, and organic matter accumulation. Over time, these processes will evolve, reflecting the unique parent material and hydrologic conditions of reclaimed mine lands. The photo invites reflection on the resilience of Appalachian ecosystems and the role of soil scientists in documenting their transformation.
Right Photo: Profile of the Myra Soil Series
This soil profile represents the Myra series, a soil formally recognized in Pike County, KY, and West Virginia. Myra soils are very deep, well-drained soils formed in calcareous materials derived from coal mine overburden—a mix of siltstone, shale, sandstone, and minor coal fragments. The regolith is loamy-skeletal, with high rock fragment content and moderate to moderately slow permeability.
• Taxonomic class: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Udorthents
• Solum depth: >60 inches
• Rock fragments: 35–70% in the control section; mostly channers and flagstones
• Reaction: Slightly to moderately alkaline; very slightly effervescent
• Structure: Weak angular blocky in surface; massive below
• Color: Dominantly gray and grayish brown hues, reflecting spoil origin
This profile exemplifies the diagnostic complexity of soils formed in anthropogenic parent materials. It also underscores the importance of soil survey work in documenting post-mining landscapes—not just for classification, but for guiding reclamation, land use planning, and ecological restoration.