LOCATION GRUMBLEN                NV

Established Series
Rev. JVC/SCH/JBF
05/2016

GRUMBLEN SERIES

The Grumblen series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Grumblen soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Lithic Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Grumblen very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 45 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones.

A1--0 to 5 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine vesicular and tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 10 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary (0 to 15 cm thick)

Bt--10 to 20 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Btk1--20 to 30 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine mainly exped roots; few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine threads and coats on bottoms of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

Btk2--30 to 46 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as many fine and medium threads and coats on bottoms of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

R--46 cm; rhyolite; carbonate coats on the bedrock contact.

TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; USGS Trinity Pass, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; about 1,700 feet south and 1,680 feet west of the northeast corner of section 25, T. 28 N., R 29 E.; latitude 40 degrees 16 minutes 14.1 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 40 minutes 16.1 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.2705833 latitude, -118.6711389 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: moist winter and spring, dry June through early November; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 13 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Depth to carbonates: 15 to 43 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 30 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR through 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist; the surface averages 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist after mixing.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Platy, granular or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry and friable or very friable moist.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay or very gravelly clay loam.
Structure: Subangular blocky or prismatic.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry and friable, firm or very firm moist.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Btk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.
Structure: Subangular blocky or the lower subhorizon of some pedons is massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry and friable, firm or very firm moist.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occur as few or common threads or as coats on rock fragments.
Effervescence: Effervescence of the matrix ranges from noneffervescent through strongly effervescent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Burrita, Disage, Jung, Loomis, Pipespring and Rocconda series.

Burrita soils are not calcareous in the lower Bt horizon and have a mean annual soil temperature of 9 to 11 degrees C. Dishner and Pipespring soils are noncalcareous throughout their profile and lack a Btk with secondary carbonates. Jung soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 11 degrees C. and rock fragments are dominantly cobbles. Loomis soils lack Btk horizons, are neutral or slightly alkaline throughout and have mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 11 degrees C. Rocconda soils are 10 to 36 cm to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grumblen soils are on hills and mountains. They typically occur on footslope and backslope positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks such as rhyolite, rhyolitic tuff, andesite, and basalt. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,370 to 2,134 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, the mean annual temperature is 10 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Old Camp, Pickup, and Theon soils. Old Camp soils are loamy-skeletal. Pickup soils are moderately deep and have mollic epipedons. Theon soils are loamy-skeletal and have a typic aridic moisture regime.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grumblen soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Lahontan sagebrush, Nevada ephedra, bottlebrush squirreltail, bluegrass, and needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada, West Part, 1988. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 10 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 46 cm (Bt, Btk1, and Btk2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 20 to 40 cm (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 46 cm to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 46 cm (Bt, Btk1, and Btk2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA:
The type was moved 01/2009 to better reflect the series concept. The present type is in the vicinity of SSL 08N0493.

Pedon and NASIS ID - 07NV761024jbf.

Other authors of this series include DLJ/TEB/TM.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.