LOCATION SIEROCLIFF NV

Established Series
Rev. LNL-DJM-JVC-JBF
06/2012

SIEROCLIFF SERIES

The Sierocliff series consists of moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from limestone. Sierocliff soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 12 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Calcic Petrocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Sierocliff gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 30 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and medium vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

Bk--8 to 28 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common coats on bottoms of rock fragments; 15 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Bkq1--28 to 46 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates and silica segregated as many coats and pendants on sides and bottoms of rock fragments; secondary carbonates also segregated in many medium sized seams and masses; 50 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

Bkq2--46 to 66 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates and silica segregated as many coats and pendants completely coating rock fragments; 60 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 25 cm thick)

Bkqm--66 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) cemented material, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; strong thin and medium platy structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; indurated by secondary carbonates with alternating layers that are cemented with minor amounts of silica; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; about 3.5 miles northwest of Pioche; approximately 1,320 feet east and 1,200 feet north of the southwest corner of section 5, T. 1 N., R. 67 E.; USGS Pioche 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 58 minutes 15 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 29 minutes 47 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall except for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 14 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 19 to 22 degrees C.
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 50 to 76 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 80 percent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent with 4 to 10 percent consisting of carbonate clay.
Rock fragments: Averages 50 to 75 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is limestone and detached pieces of petrocalcic horizon.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.

Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, gravelly loam, or very gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 5 to 50 percent.
Structure: Weak subangular blocky or massive.
Consistence: Slightly hard or soft dry, slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic, wet.
Rock fragments: Subhorizons may range from up to 50 percent rock fragments in some pedons.

Bkq horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly fine sandy loam.
Rock Fragments: 50 to 75 percent.
Consistence: Slightly hard or soft dry, slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic, wet.

Bkqm horizons
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: Typically 1 through 3, but some subhorizons have chroma of 4 moist.
Structure: Platy or massive.
Consistence: Normally extremely firm but can be very hard and very firm in some subhorizons.
Other features: 25 to 76 cm thick and is made up of indurated and strongly cemented subhorizons.

COMPETING SERIES: This the Bluehon series. The Bluehon soils have an ustic aridic soil moisture regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sierocliff soils are on linear to slightly convex fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from limestone with reworked lacustrine materials or loess high in volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 12 percent. Elevations range from 1,520 to 1,980 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 13 degrees C, and mean summer temperature is 18 to 21 degrees C. The frost-free period is 100 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bit, Denmark, Jarab, and Pamsdel soils. Bit soils are coarse-loamy. Denmark soils are loamy and shallow to petrocalcic horizons. Jarab and Pamsdel soils have mollic epipedons.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Sierocliff soils are used for livestock grazing. The vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, Utah juniper, cliffrose, galleta, and Nevada ephedra.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRAs 28A and 29.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County (Meadow Valley Area), Nevada, 1971.

REMARKS: This revision of September 2003 updates the taxonomic class from Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Xeric Petrocalcids and recognizes the presence of a calcic horizon.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and part of the Bk horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 8 to 66 cm (Bk, Bkq1, and Bkq2 horizons).
Petrocalcic horizon - The zone from 66 to 152 cm (Bkqm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 66 cm (Bkq1 and Bkq2 horizons and part of the Bk horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon near the series type location has full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Riverside, CA as soil survey sample number S66NV-017-024 (pedon # 40A3192) and is published in SSIR No. 23 on page 95.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.