LOCATION ARMESA NMInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, carbonatic, thermic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Armesa very fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak thin platy structure in upper 1 inch and weak fine granular structure in lower part; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, few medium and coarse roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bk1--8 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, few medium and coarse roots; violently effervescent, carbonates along surfaces of peds, as threads and soft masses, about 8 percent carbonate nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bk2--14 to 31 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) silty clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; violently effervescent, carbonates are slightly cemented and some cemented lenses are scattered along the contact of the overlying horizon; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 19 inches thick)
Bk3--31 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gravelly silty clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine medium and coarse roots; 15 percent gravels; violently effervescent, almost completely plugged with secondary carbonates; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bk4--36 to 60 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few coarse roots; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, lime in form of thin threads and coating on some gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; about 300 feet north of county road 506 where it intersects the southwest corner of SW1/4 sec. 10, T. 21 S., R. 11 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in all parts less than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 59 to 62 degrees
Depth to calcic horizon: 7 to 19 inches
Calcium carbonate equivalent: Averages 45 to 65 percent equivalent in control section, disseminated above Bk horizons and segregated in Bk horizon.
A horizon:
Hue - 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Bw and Bk1 horizon:
Hue - 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist
Texture: Fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam.
Lower Bk horizons:
Hue - 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 8 dry or moist
Texture: Gravel content is less than 20 percent. Silt loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clay loam. Fine sandy loam is below 30 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Cesario (TX),
Fizzleflat (TX) and
Karro (AZ) series.
Cesario soils have a paralithic contact at 40 to 60 inches.
Fizzleflat soils are moderately deep.
Karro soils lack Bw horizons and structure in Bk1 horizon and have very strongly alkaline horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Armesa soils are on pediment foot and toeslopes and inset fans on fan piedmonts at the southern end of the Sacramento mountains on the Otero Mesa. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent but are primarily 1 to 3 percent. Elevations range from 3,800 to 6,500 feet. The soils formed in moderately fine textured alluvium weathered from limestone, sandstone, or shale. An eolian mantle of very fine sandy loam covers the entire Otero Mesa. The area has a warm, semiarid continental climate with an annual precipitation of 12 to 16 inches. The frost-free period is 140 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arch, Jerag, Philder, and Reyab soils. Arch soils have mixed mineralogy. Jerag soils have a strong argillic horizon and petrocalcic horizon at depths less than 20 inches. Philder soils have a petrocalcic horizon at depths of less than 20 inches. Reyab soils lack a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability. Runoff is low on slopes less than 1 percent, medium on slopes of 1 to 5 percent, and high on slopes of 5 to 15 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and military reservations. Vegetation is mainly black grama, blue grama, alkali sacaton, Mormon tea, and scattered threeawn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico and possibly west central Texas. It is of moderate extent. MLRA 42
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otero Area, Otero County, New Mexico; 2001.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (A, Bw, Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, and Bk4 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 14 to 36 inches. (Bk2 and Bk3 horizons)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Sample S74NM 35-3-(1 to 9)