LOCATION MELD                    OR

Established Series
Rev. JSC-GLG-TDT-JVC-JBF
04/2011

MELD SERIES

The Meld series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in volcanic ash and alluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Meld soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 20 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, frigid Vitritorrandic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Meld ashy loam--on a 3 percent slope under basin big sagebrush at an elevation of 1,417 meters--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; many vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--8 to 41 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7);; clear wavy boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

Bt2--41 to 51 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; common fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; about 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7);; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bt3--51 to 84 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly ashy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7);; abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick)

Bqm--84 to 102 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cemented material, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; indurated by secondary silica with thick coatings of opal on surfaces of plates.

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; north of the Glass Buttes; in the SW 1/4, of the NE 1/4, of the NE 1/4 of section 15, T. 23 S., R. 22 E.; USGS Glass Butte 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; approximately latitude 43 degrees 34 minutes 58 seconds N and longitude 120 degrees 03 minutes 39 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm; includes the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and also the Bt3 horizon in some pedons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to duripan: 50 to 100 cm.
Duripan thickness: 30 to more than 76 cm thick.
Depth to bedrock: More than 200 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 20 to 35 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as obsidian, rhyolite, or tuff.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.

Bt1 horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Ashy clay loam or ashy sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 32 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.

Bt2 and Bt3 horizons
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Gravelly ashy clay loam or very gravelly ashy clay loam.
Clay content: 30 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 25 to 50 percent gravel.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Greenmountain, Milcan, and Sliptrack series.
Greenmountain soils average 16 to 22 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are dominated by cobbles. Milcan soils do not have argillic horizons. Sliptrack soils average 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Meld soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in eolian volcanic ash and alluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 20 percent. Elevations range from 1,356 to 1,524 meters. The climate is semiarid and characterized by cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 280 to 360 mm. The mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C. The frost-free period is 60 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chesebro, Giranch, and Moonbeam soils. Chesebro soils do not have a duripan, have thick mollic epipedons, and are on adjacent hills. Giranch soils are ashy-skeletal. Moonbeam soils are shallow to duripans and are on adjacent lava plateaus.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Meld soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation mainly is basin big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Idaho fescue, and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are not extensive with about 2,900 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County (Northern Part), Oregon, 2006. The series was proposed as part of the Prineville District Area, BLM Brothers soil survey, 1980. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 84 cm (A, Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 84 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 76 cm (A, BA, and Bt1 horizons and part of the Bt2 horizon).
Duripan - The zone from 84 to 100 cm (Bqm horizon).
Particle-size control section and ashy substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from 8 to 58 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 and part of the Bt3 horizon).

A revision in December 2002 updated the taxonomic class from Loamy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Argiduridic Durixerolls. This revision updated the taxonomic class from Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid Vitritorrandic Durixerolls, updated horizon designations, and recognized the 8 to 41 cm horizon as part of the argillic horizon.

Volcanic glass contents are estimated based on data for the associated Chesebro and Giranch soils.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.