LOCATION CRATERS ID
Established Series
Rev. RW/TDT
01/2011
CRATERS SERIES
The Craters series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in reworked ash and cinders. Permeability is moderate. These soils are on fan terraces and along mountain valley drainages. Slopes are 1 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, amorphic, frigid Humic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Craters very gravelly medial sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly medial sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel-size cinders; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--4 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very medial gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; common medium, many very fine and fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel-size cinders; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly medial sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 35 percent gravel-size cinders; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bw2--22 to 38 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly medial sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 25 percent gravel-size cinders; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
Bw3--38 to 60 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly medial sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 20 percent gravel-size cinders; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, Idaho; 3/4 mile north of Craters of the Moon Monument Headquarters; 1,500 feet west and 2,200 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 27, T. 2 N., R. 24 E. Latitude - 113 degrees, 34 minutes, 48 seconds north; Longitude - 43 degrees, 28 minutes, 28 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Andic soil properties are present through the profile
Glass content - 5 to 30 percent
Phosphate retention - 50 to 80
Acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron - 1.0 to 2.0
15 bar water dry is 12 to 15 and moist is 20 to 30 percent
Mollic epipedon - 20 to 40 inches thick
Particle-size control section - averages 15 to 35 percent cinders
Mean annual soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F
The soil moisture control section is dry for 90 to 120 days
A horizon
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Rock fragment - 35 to 50 percent cinders
Bw horizon
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist; moist chromas of 4 occur below a depth of 20 or more inches
Reaction - neutral to slightly alkaline
Texture - GR-SL, GR-L, GRV-SL, GRV-L
Rock fragment - 15 to 40 percent cinders
COMPETING SERIES: These are no competing.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Craters soils are on fan terraces and along mountain valley drainage. Slopes range from 1 to 5 percent. They formed in reworked ash and cinders. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 60 to 90 days. Elevation ranges from 5,500 to 6,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the
Goodalfs soil. Goodalfs soils are moderately well drained and are in adjacent depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and recreation. The potential natural vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, basin wild rye, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Craters of the Moon Area, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this series are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 38 inches
Cambic horizon - 38 to 60 inches
Andic soil properties - 0 to 60 inches
Particle-size control section averages 32 percent cinders
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.