LOCATION AMBOYCRATER CA
Established Series
Rev: JCR/LJL/ET
04/2015
AMBOYCRATER SERIES
The Amboycrater series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in lacustrine deposits. Amboy Crater soils are on smooth lake plains and have slopes of 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 72 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Gypsic Haplosalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Amboycrater fine sandy loam on a northeast-facing, convex, 2 percent slope at an elevation of 620 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 30 percent gravel.
Anyz--0 to 4 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity of 182 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio is 150; 6 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick).
Bknyz1--4 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gypsiferous fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent carbonate concretions; 28 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3), medium and coarse irregular, very hard, very firm, and brittle gypsum crystals; electrical conductivity of 56 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio is 91; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary.
Bknyz2--12 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent carbonate concretions; 10 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3), medium and coarse irregular, very hard, very firm, and brittle gypsum crystals; electrical conductivity of 49 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio is 95; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bknyz horizon is 15 to 30 inches).
Bnyz1--28 to 43 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity of 53 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio is 102; 1 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3), very fine gypsum threads; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary.
Bnyz2--43 to 50 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine tubular pores; electrical conductivity of 51 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio is 101; 1 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3), very fine gypsum threads; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear wavy boundary.
Bnyz3--50 to 66 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity of 19 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio is 111; 1 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3), very fine gypsum threads; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 7.8 miles west and 5.1 miles south of Amboy and 6.1 miles south of Bagdad, California, near dry lakebed; 2,200 feet south and 1,200 feet west of the northwest corner of section 25, T. 5 N., R. 10 E.; 34 degrees, 29 minutes, 39.4 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 53 minutes, 29.9 seconds west longitude; Lead Mountain quadrangle; UTM 11S, 0601762e 3817324n; NAS-C.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 72 to 77 degrees F.
Depth to gypsic horizon: 2 to 6 inches.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Particle-size control section - Rock fragments: averages 5 to 15 percent, mainly as weakly cemented gypsum crystals, ranges from 1 to 30 percent.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.
Anyz horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Consistence: slightly or moderately hard, friable or very friable.
Gypsum percent by weight: 1 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity: 150 to 250 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 100 to 200.
Bknyz horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent, mostly as gravel-sized weakly cemented gypsum crystals.
Consistence: Soft, slightly or moderately hard, friable or very friable.
Gypsum percent by weight: 10 to 35 percent
Electrical conductivity: 20 to 60 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 91 to 120.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Bnyz horizons - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Consistence: Soft, slightly or moderately hard, friable or very friable, nonsticky or slightly sticky.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Electrical conductivity: 17 to 70 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 91 to 130.
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline.
Other features: 1 to 5 percent gypsum as crystals or masses.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Gypboy soils. Gypboy soils are on hummocks and have an electrical conductivity of 70 to 150 dS/m in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Amboycrater soils are on smooth lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. These soils formed in lacustrine deposits. Elevations are 550 to 700 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 2 to 5 inches; mean annual air temperature is 69 to 75 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 300 to 360 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Gypboy soils. Gypboy soils are on hummocks on lake plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to low runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Amboycrater soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Mojave seablite, fourwing saltbush and allscale saltbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Marine Corps Air/Ground Combat Center Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is from the nearby Amboy Crater.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon--0 to 4 inches (Anyz horizon).
2. Salic horizon--0 to 50 inches (Anyz, Bknyz horizons, Bnyz1 and part of the Bnyz2 horizon).
3. Gypsic horizon--4 to 66 inches (Bknyz1 and Bknyz2, Bnyz1, Bnyz2, and part of the Bnyz3 horizons).
4. Particle-size control section--10 to 40 inches (Part of the Bknyz1, the Bknyz2, and part of the Bnyz1 horizons).
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 1/2001. ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.