LOCATION DERMOTT TX
Established Series
Rev. ALS, JAG, RMR, WJG
11/2015
DERMOTT SERIES
The Dermott series consists of soils that are very shallow and shallow to a fractured and weathered petrocalcic horizon. They are well drained and moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy residuum derived from the Ogallala Formation. These soils are on gently to steeply sloping hills and ridges. Slope ranges from 3 to 30 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Petrocalcic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dermott gravelly loam on a south facing, convex, 4 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 2573 feet.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 12 cm (0 to 5 in); brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine and fine granular structure; very friable, soft; moderate excavation difficulty when moist; common very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; 5 percent strongly cemented 2 to 5 millimeter caliche fragments ,11 percent strongly cemented 5 to 20 millimeter caliche fragments, 2 percent strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter caliche fragments; 3 percent siliceous pebbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 33 cm [2 to 13 in] thick)
A2--12 to 31 cm (5 to 12 in); brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; weak very fine granular structure; very friable, soft; moderate excavation difficulty when moist; common very fine, fine, medium roots throughout; 5 percent strongly cemented 2 to 5 millimeter caliche fragments, 10 percent strongly cemented 5 to 20 millimeter caliche fragments, 35 percent strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter caliche fragments, 20 percent strongly cemented 75 to 300 millimeter caliche fragments; 3 percent siliceous pebbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm [5 to 10 in] thick)
Bkm--31 to 39 cm (12 to 15 in); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) strongly cemented caliche, pink (7.5YR 7/4), moist; massive; very high excavation difficulty moist; common, very fine, fine, and medium roots matted on top of the horizon and common very fine roots along fractures between petrocalcic plates; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; laminar cap of the petrocalcic is degrading; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 53 cm [3 to 21 in] thick)
Bkm/Bk--39 to 103 cm (15 to 41 in); Bkm comprises 90 percent of horizon; Bk comprises 10 percent of horizon; Bkm part consists of pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2), pink (7.5YR 7/4), moist; massive, strongly cemented caliche; very high excavation difficulty moist; violent effervescence; The strongly cemented caliche layers are scattered throughout the horizon. These layers are tilted 10 to 30 degrees from the horizontal; Bk part consists of pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 8/4), moist; massive; common very fine roots throughout; 2 percent medium and 1 percent coarse distinct irregular moderately cemented very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate nodules with clear boundaries throughout; 3 percent siliceous pebbles throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 102 cm [10 to 40 in] thick)
Bk--103 to 211 cm (41 to 83 in); pink (7.5YR 8/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4), moist; massive; common very fine roots throughout; 12 percent medium and 12 percent coarse distinct irregular moderately cemented very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate nodules with clear boundaries throughout; 40 percent by volume, pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2), pink (7.5YR 7/4), moist; strongly cemented caliche; The strongly cemented caliche layers are scattered throughout the horizon. These layers are tilted 10 to 30 degrees from the horizontal; high excavation difficulty moist; 3 percent siliceous pebbles throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Scurry County, TX; from the intersection of US 180 and US 208 in downtown Snyder, go north on US 208 for 1.6 miles to US 84, go northwest on US 84 for 10.5 miles to county road 2126, go west on C.R. 2126 for 3.1 miles to private ranch road, go south on ranch road 4.7 miles then .5 miles southwest on ranch road, site is .2 miles south in rangeland.
USGS topographic quadrangle: Dermott, Texas;
Latitude: 32 degrees, 47 minutes, 35.2 seconds N;
Longitude: 101 degrees, 04 minutes, 52.2 seconds W.
Datum: NAD 83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An aridic ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 225 days but less than 270 cumulative days in normal years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 13.9 to 16.7 degrees C (57 to 62 degrees F).
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 18 to 51 cm (7 to 20 in).
Thickness of petrocalcic horizon: 33 to 127 cm (13 to 50 in)
Particle-size control section: 13 to 51 cm (5 to 20 in).
Silicate clay content: 12 to 22 percent.
Coarse Fragments: 35 to 70 percent.
A1 Horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: Loam, gravelly loam and very gravelly loam or their fine sandy loam counterparts
Total Clay content: 10 to 27
Silicate Clay content: 12 to 22
Coarse fragments: 0 to 35 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: 3 to 40 percent in the form masses, nodules, and/or strongly cemented caliche fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 35 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction (pH): slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.8 to 8.4)
A2 Horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: gravelly loam, very gravelly loam and extremely gravelly loam or their fine sandy loam counterparts
Total Clay content: 10 to 27
Silicate Clay content: 12 to 22
Coarse fragments: 35 to 80 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: 25 to 70 percent in the form masses, nodules, and/or strongly cemented caliche fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 45 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction (pH): slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.8 to 8.4)
Bkm Horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 7 or 8 moist and dry
Chroma: 1 to 4 moist and dry
The Bkm horizon is fractured strongly cemented or indurated caliche, fracture are more than 4 inches apart horizontally
Effervescence: violent
Reaction (pH): slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.8 to 8.4)
Bkm/Bk Horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 moist and dry
Chroma: 1 to 6 moist and dry
The Bkm horizon part of the Bkm/Bk consists of strongly cemented caliche.
The strongly cemented caliche layers are scattered throughout the horizon.
The Bk part is:
Texture: gravelly loam, very gravelly loam and extremely gravelly loam or their sandy loam counterparts
Silicate Clay content: 8 to 20
Coarse fragments: 20 to 85 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: 40 to 75 percent in the form masses, nodules, and/or moderately to strongly cemented caliche layers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 90 percent
Effervescence: violent
Reaction (pH): slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.8 to 8.4)
Bk Horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 moist and dry
Chroma: 1 to 6 moist and dry
Texture: gravelly loam, very gravelly loam and extremely gravelly loam or their sandy loam counterparts
Total Clay content: 5 to 25
Silicate Clay content: 5 to 20
Coarse fragments: 20 to 85 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: 30 to 85 percent in the form masses, nodules and/or moderately to strongly cemented caliche layers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 80 percent
Effervescence: Violent
Reaction (pH): slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.8 to 8.4)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Boracho,
Choza, and
Laverne series in the same family. Similar soils are the Cho,
Kimbrough,
Kimberson,
Mereta,
Potter, and
Pitzer.
Boracho soils: formed in igneous colluvium in MLRA 42.
Choza soils: formed in fan alluvium derived from limestone sources
Laverne soils: Laverne soils are in MLRA 77E.
Cho and
Potter soils: have carbonatic mineralogy.
Kimbrough,
Kimberson, and
Pitzer soils: are in a loamy family.
Mereta soils: are in a clayey family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous loamy residuum from Pliocene Ogallala formation
Landscape: dissected plains
Landform: interfluves and side slopes of knolls, hillslopes and low ridges
Slope: 3 to 30 percent
Precipitation pattern: The months of November through March are the driest, while the months of April through October are the wettest.
Mean annual precipitation range: 457 to 584 mm (18 to 23 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E indices: 26 to 32
Mean annual air temperature range: 15.0 to 17.2 degrees C (59 to 63 degrees F).
Frost-free period: 210 to 230 days
Elevation: 640.1 to 884.0 m (2100 to 2900 ft)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Knoco,
Sagerton,
Pyron, and
Snyder.
Knoco soils: occur lower in the landscape and formed from the Permian Red Beds.
Snyder soils: occur on similar landscapes, are very deep, and do not have a petrocalcic horizon.
Sagerton and
Pyron soils: occur on similar to lower landscapes and do not have petrocalcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland. Native vegetation consists of buffalograss, sideoats grama, hairy grama, threeawn, broomweed, dalia and javelinabrush. Very shallow (078BY091TX) range site.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest portion of the Rolling Red Plains; Land Resource Region H; MLRA 78B; the series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Scurry County, Texas; 2004, MLRA 78 soil survey area, Texas, 2004. The name is from a community on the Roscoe Plain.
REMARKS: The Dermott series was formerly included in the Potter series. The series was separated based on the petrocalcic horizon, mineralogy and moisture regime.
Edited 11/2015 (RFG-ROG): Changed to tabular format. Added metric measurements. Updated competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 30 cm (0 to 12 in). (A1 and A2 horizons)
Petrocalcic horizon: 30 to 104 cm (12 to 41 in). (Bkm and Bkm/Bk horizons)
Calcic horizon: 104 to 211 cm (41 to 83 in). (Bk horizons)
Additional Comments:
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by National Soil Survey Laboratory data number S03-TX-415-004 from Scurry County, Texas.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Data from type location S03-TX-415-004. Particle-size analysis, silicate clay analysis, calcium carbonate equivalent, and pH were performed at the project office on 5 pedons. The array of colors, horizon depths, and percentages of carbonates and fragments from 15 described pedons.
Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Ninth Edition, 2003
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.