LOCATION ANTHOLOP                NV

Established Series
Rev. DJM-EWB-WED-JVC
02/2017

ANTHOLOP SERIES

The Antholop series consists of shallow to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in eolian volcanic ash over residuum weathered from basalt. Antholop soils are on plateaus. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Abruptic Xeric Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Antholop very cobbly ashy sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A1--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very cobbly ashy sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--8 to 15 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) ashy fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong very thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular and common fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--15 to 30 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; many distinct clay films on all faces of peds and on surfaces of pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--30 to 41 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; strong thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; many distinct clay films on all faces of peds and on surfaces of pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Bqkm--41 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) cemented material, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; continuous laminae 3 to 6.5 mm thick indurated by silica with strongly cemented material between; extremely hard, brittle; 10 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2)

TYPE LOCATION: Mineral County, Nevada; about 5 miles northeast of Aurora; approximately 2,210 feet east and 2,340 feet south of the northwest corner of section 28, T. 6 N., R. 28 E.; USGS Mount Hicks 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 21 minutes 03 seconds north latitude and 118 degrees 51 minutes 39 seconds west longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.3508333 latitude, -118.8608333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry in summer except intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to duripan: 36 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 0 to 15 percent, subhorizons may have up to 25 percent. Lithology of fragments is basalt.

A horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 75 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist.
Clay content: 40 to 55 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.

Bqkm horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent to violently effervescent.
Cementation: Indurated laminar cap consisting of 3 to 6.5 mm thick silica lamina underlain by strongly silica-cemented material.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent, mainly cobbles and stones.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Decathon, Esmod, Fulstone, Grassycan, Kunaton, Puls, Ridenbaugh, and Rogerson series.
Decathon soils have a duripan less than 38 cm thick. Esmod soils have neutral or slightly alkaline reaction in the Bt horizons. Fulstone soils lack rock fragments in the duripan and have a neutral Bt horizon. Grassycan soils have bedrock at depths of 18 to 36 cm. Kunaton soils have bedrock at a depth of 50 to 100 cm. Puls soils have moderately acid to neutral Bt horizons and have bedrock within 100 cm. Ridenbaugh soils have an E horizon and calcium carbonate accumulations above the duripan. Rogerson soils have an E horizon, a neutral Bt horizon, and a duripan less than 25 cm thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Antholop soils are on basalt-capped plateaus. These soils formed in eolian volcanic ash over residuum weathered from basalt. The probable sources of the volcanic ash are the Mono Craters and Long Valley Caldera in eastern California. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1,230 to 2,290 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 11 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abgese and Borealis soils. Abgese soils are very deep and fine-loamy. Borealis soils are moderately deep to duripans.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Antholop soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is low sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, spiny hopsage, galleta, and Douglas rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 3,800 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County, Nevada, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 15 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 41 to 152 cm (Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Field tests indicated sodium adsorption ratio to be less than 5 in the Bt horizons.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.