LOCATION AMAROSE NM

Established Series
Rev. RAH-TAC-TCB-RM
05/2016

AMAROSE SERIES

The Amarose series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils. These soils formed in loamy eolian deposits from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age. Amarose soils are on nearly level to gently sloping plains and playa slopes. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 406 mm (16 in), and mean annual temperature is 16 degrees C. (61 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Ustic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Amarose fine sandy loam, on a very gently sloping plain, 1 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 1,390 meters (4,560 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 9 cm (0 to 3 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; noneffervescent; neutral; clear smooth boundary.

A2--9 to 26 cm (3 to 10 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; noneffervescent; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 20 to 51 cm [8 to 20 in].)

Bt1--26 to 87 cm (10 to 34 in); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky, and moderately plastic; common fine roots throughout; many continuous and distinct clay films on ped surfaces; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--87 to 106 cm (34 to 42 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; common fine roots throughout; common patchy and faint clay films on ped surfaces; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 51 to 125 cm [20 to 49 in].)

Btk1--106 to 168 cm (42 to 66 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; common patchy and faint clay films on ped surfaces; about 45 percent calcium carbonate by volume as coarse masses and finely disseminated carbonates throughout; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness is 51 to 125 cm [20 to 49 in].)

Btk2--168 to 203 cm (66 to 80 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; common patchy and faint clay films on ped surfaces; about 25 percent calcium carbonate by volume as coarse masses and finely disseminated carbonates throughout; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: Roosevelt County, New Mexico; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 70 and State Highway 330 in Elida; 12 miles north on State Highway 330 to Roosevelt County Road 9 S.; 5 miles west on Roosevelt County Road 9 S. to Roosevelt County Road AP; 1 mile south on Roosevelt County Road AP to Roosevelt County Road 10 S.; 4 miles west on Roosevelt County Road 10 S. to Roosevelt County Road AT; 2 miles south on Roosevelt County Road AT; 300 ft east on private road; 30 ft north of road in rangeland. NW of the NW of Section 4. T. 3 S., R. 30 E. Section 4, Township 3 S., Range 30 E. Latitude: 34 degrees, 04 minutes, 54.2 seconds N; Longitude: 103 degrees, 48 minutes, 22 seconds W; Gammil Well SE, New Mexico USGS quad; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 205 but less than 270 days, cumulative, in normal years. November through April normally is the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in May through October.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C. (59 to 64 degrees F).
Depth to argillic horizon: 15 to 51 cm (6 to 20 in).
Depth to calcic horizon: 75 to 152 cm (30 to 60 in).
Secondary carbonates: 60 to 125 cm (24 to 49 in).
Particle-size control section: 18 to 30 percent silicate clay. Clay content decreases by more than 20 percent from the maximum within 150 cm (59 in) of the surface.
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in).

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline.

Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Effervescence: none or slight
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Btk horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 15 to 50 percent by volume in the form of masses, nodules and finely disseminated carbonates
Calcium carbonate by weight: 5 to 40 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

Btkk horizon (where present):
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 50 to 70 percent by volume in the form of masses, nodules and finely disseminated carbonates
Calcium carbonate by weight: 40 to 60 percent
Reaction: strongly alkaline
Effervescence: violent
Note: Total clay content ranges from 25 to 40 percent in the calcic horizon and silicate clay content ranges from 8 to 20 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils include the Elida (T-NM), Evanola (T-NM), Faskin, Jalmar, Redona, Tinney, Triomas, and Vest Wells (T-NM) series.
Arizer and Chavaro soils: have lower color value and chromas and higher organic carbon content in the surface horizon, in addition Chavaro soils have a calcic horizon within 50 cm (20 in) of the mineral soil surface.
Elida soils: have less than 18 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Evanola soils: have a calcic horizon at 44 cm (17 in.) from the soil surface, have a superactive cation exchange activity class formed in sediments weathered primarily from sandstone and shale of Triassic age and are dry in the soil moisture control section for slightly longer periods.
Faskin soils: have a superactive activity class and have higher silicate clay content in the calcic horizon.
Jalmar and Vest Wells soils: have a sandy surface more than 50 cm (20 in.) thick and a loamy particle-size control section.
Redona and Tinney soils: have a superactive cation exchange activity class, formed in sediments weathered primarily from sandstone and shale of Triassic age and are dry in the soil moisture control section for slightly longer periods..
Triomas soils: have a calcic horizon below 152 cm (60 in).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy eolian sediments in the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: nearly level to gently sloping plains and playa slopes.
Slopes: 0 to 5 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (57 to 63 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 356 to 432 mm (14 to 17 in.).
Frost-free period: 180 to 220 days.
Elevation: 762 to 1,402 m (2,500 to 4,600 ft).
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 22 to 26.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizer (T-NM), Berwolf, Delphos (T-NM), Douro, Levelland, Lovington (T-NM) and Ratliff series.
Arizer soils: are on similar landscape positions and have lower color values and chromas and higher organic carbon content in the surface horizons.
Berwolf soils: are on similar landscape positions and have less than 18 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Delphos, Lovington and Ratliff soils: are on lower landscape positions and do not have an argillic horizon.
Douro soils: are on similar landscape positions and have petrocalcic horizons.
Levelland soils: are on lower landscape positions, do not have an argillic horizon and are moist in the soil moisture control section for longer periods.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderate permeability. Runoff is negligible on slopes of less than 1 percent and low on 1 to 5 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for rangeland and small areas of irrigated cropland. Where cultivated, the principal crops are small grains and grain sorghum. Climax vegetation in rangeland is mainly short and mid grasses, with mid grasses tending to dominate, with a smaller tall grass component. This site is dominated by blue grama with lesser amounts of sideoats grama, buffalograss, little bluestem, gaura, plains zinnia, prairieclover, bundleflower, wild alfalfa, and ephedra. Woody plants include catclaw sensitivebrier, yucca, and sand sagebrush. Dominant vegetation on the loamy fine sands includes sideoats grama, bluestems, and switchgrass, and on the fine sandy loams includes sideoats grama, blue grama, buffalograss, and Arizona cottontop. This soil has been correlated to the Sandy Loam (R077DY047TX) and Sandy (R077DY046TX) ecological sites in MLRA-77D.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Southern Part (MLRA 77D in LRR H) of eastern New Mexico. The series is extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: MLRA-77 Soil Survey Update; Roosevelt County, New Mexico, 2016.

REMARKS: This is a Benchmark Series. The Amarose series was formerly included in the Amarillo series. Classification change from Aridic Haplustalfs to Ustic Calciargids based on an evaluation of the geographic extent of these soils, and the climate in which they occur. Cation exchange activity class placement in the superactive class is based on laboratory data from the type location, and laboratory data from similar and adjacent soils. The average of the control section is 0.58. Since adjacent and similar soils are in the superactive class, the decision is made to place this soil in the superactive cation exchange activity class.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 26 cm (0 to 10 in) Ap horizons
Argillic Horizon: 26 to 203 cm (10 to 80 in) Bt and Btk horizons
Calcic horizon: 106 to 203 cm (42 to 80 in) Btk horizons

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Laboratory Data available - Roosevelt County, New Mexico (S06NM041003).

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.