Organic Cryosol (OC)

These Cryosolic soils have developed primarily from organic material containing more than 17% organic carbon by weight and are underlain by permafrost within 1 m of the surface. They are greater than 40 cm thick, or greater than 10 cm thick over either a lithic contact or an ice layer that is at least 30 cm thick. Landforms associated with Organic Cryosols include palsas, peat polygons, and high-centre polygons.

Fibric Organic Cryosol (FI.OC)

Common horizon sequence: Of or Om, Of, Ofz

These Organic Cryosols are identified by the following properties:

  1. They have organic layers thicker than 1 m.
  2. They are composed dominantly of fibric material in the control section below a depth of 40 cm.

Mesic Organic Cryosol (ME.OC)

Common horizon sequence: Of or Om, Om, Omz

These Organic Cryosols are identified by the following properties:

  1. They have organic layers thicker than 1 m.
  2. They are composed dominantly of mesic material in the control section below a depth of 40 cm.

Humic Organic Cryosol (HU.OC)

Common horizon sequence: Om or Oh, Ohz

These Organic Cryosols are identified by the following properties:

  1. They have organic layers thicker than 1 m.
  2. They are composed dominantly of humic material in the control section below a depth of 40 cm.

Terric Fibric Organic Cryosol (TFI.OC)

Common horizon sequence: Of, Ofz, Cz

These Organic Cryosols are identified by the following properties:

  1. They have a mineral contact within 1 m of the surface, or the mineral layer is greater than 30 cm thick with an upper boundary within 1 m of the surface.
  2. They are composed dominantly of fibric material above the mineral contact.

Terric Mesic Organic Cryosol (TME.OC)

Common horizon sequence: Om, Omz, Cz

These Organic Cryosols are identified by the following properties:

  1. They have a mineral contact within 1 m of the surface, or the mineral layer is greater than 30 cm thick with an upper boundary within 1 m of the surface.
  2. They are composed dominantly of mesic material above the mineral contact.

Terric Humic Organic Cryosol (THU.OC)

Common horizon sequence: Oh, Ohz, Cz

These Organic Cryosols are identified by the following properties:

  1. They have a mineral contact within 1 m of the surface, or the mineral layer is greater than 30 cm thick with an upper boundary within 1 m of the surface.
  2. They are composed dominantly of humic material above the mineral contact.

Glacic Organic Cryosol (GC.OC)

Common horizon sequence: Of, Om or Oh, Wz

These Organic Cryosols are identified by the following properties:

  1. They have a layer of ground ice greater than 30 cm thick with an upper boundary within 1 m of the surface.
  2. The ice layer contains more than 95% ice by volume.

Note: Diagnostic horizons are underlined.

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