LOCATION ATLANTA                 NV

Established Series
Rev. PWB/BAG/TM/JBF
12/2019

ATLANTA SERIES

The Atlanta series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium derived from limestone with lesser amounts of welded tuff. Atlanta soils are on fan aprons, fan skirts and inset fans that receive occasional flooding. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Atlanta fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 16 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

A2--8 to 25 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 22 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 33 cm thick)

2Bk--25 to 58 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; common (20%) secondary calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; some of the carbonate coats are allogenic which is indicated by rocks with carbonate coats on tops and sides with random orientation; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 30 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 36 cm thick)

3C1--58 to 84 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 27 percent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 36 cm thick)

3C2--84 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, common fine and few medium roots; few very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 23 percent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; 5.1 miles east of Highway 93 and 50 feet south of the Atlanta Road; about 2000 feet west and 2500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 7, T. 10 N., R. 67 E.; USGS Indian Springs Knolls 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 44 minutes 34 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 29 minutes 59 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.7427778 latitude, -114.4997222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring, dry May through October except for 10 to 20 days (cumulative) due to summer convection storms; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to unconformable 2Bk horizons: 25 to 58 cm.

Particle size control section - Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel; individual strata range from 0 to 65 percent. Lithology of the fragments is mostly limestone.

A horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent.

Bk horizon (when present)
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 35 percent.
Visible secondary carbonates: 5 to 20 percent soft masses or filaments.

2Bk horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 45 to 65 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 35 percent.
Visible secondary carbonates: 15 to 20 percent soft masses, filaments, and coatings on fragments.

3C horizons
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adkins, Bertelson, Briabbit, Crestline, Declo, Eoyote, Escalante, Kecko, Sagehill, Somsen, and Strevell series.

Adkins soils lack carbonates above 60 cm. Bertelson soils do not have very gravelly or extremely gravelly horizons within the particle-size control section and are dominated by alluvium from tuff and ignimbrite. Briabbit soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Crestline soils do not have very gravelly or extremely gravelly horizons within the control section and are not calcareous above the calcic horizon. Declo soils have 0 to 15 percent gravel in the particle-size control section. Eoyote soils lack gravel in the particle-size control section. Escalante soils do not have very gravelly or extremely gravelly horizons within the particle-size control section. Kecko soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to carbonates and have 0 to 10 percent gravel in the control section. Sagehill soils are 25 to 76 cm deep to carbonates and have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Somsen soils are moderately deep over hard bedrock. Strevell soils are 10 to 25 cm deep to carbonates and have Bk horizons with silt loam or loam textures.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Atlanta soils are at elevations of 1,680 to 1,985 meters. They are on fan aprons, fan skirts and inset fans that receive occasional flooding. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. They formed in alluvium derived from limestone with lesser amounts of welded tuff. The climate is semiarid mid-latitude steppe with cold winters and hot summers. Average annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm. Mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C and the mean summer temperature is 19 to 22 degrees C. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Kunzler, Rouette and Ursine. Kunzler soils have calcic horizons containing durinodes. Rouette and Ursine soils are shallow to a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very low or low runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Atlanta soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is basin big sagebrush, basin wildrye and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part, 2004. The name is from a nearby historic mine and town site.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of 18 cm (A1 and part of the A2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 25 to 58 cm (2Bk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (2Bk, 3C1 and part of the 3C2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.