LOCATION ATOMIC IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Atomic loam on a south facing slope of 2 percent on rangeland at an elevation of 5,100. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent (about 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
A2--3 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent (about 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)
Bk--15 to 34 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (about 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); 5 percent cobbles; gradual wavy boundary.
Bkq--34 to 46 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (about 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); disseminated lime and 10 percent gravel-sized lime- and silica-cemented nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness is 30 to 40 inches)
2R--46 inches; lime-coated basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Idaho; about four miles south and 5 miles east of Antelope Lake, about 2,000 feet north and 1,000 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 2, T. 3 S., R. 29 E. Latitude - 43 degrees, 11 minutes, 21 seconds north; Longitude - 113 degrees, 2 minutes, 35 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The soil moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. dry 70 to 85 consecutive days.
Mean annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 62 to 66 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 60 inches
Particle-size control section
Total clay content - 12 to 27 percent and weight average over 18 percent
Carbonate free clay content - 10 to 18 percent.
Fine sand or coarser - 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent
Depth to calcic horizon - 7 to 24 inches
Depth to secondary carbonates is 15 to 35 inches
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Reaction - mildly or moderately alkaline
Bk and Bkq horizons
Value - 6 through 8 dry and 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - loam, silt loam, gravelly loam, cobbly loam to a depth of 40 inches and ranging to clay loam below 40 inches. Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
SAR - 5 to 13
Calcium carbonate - 15 to 40 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Holsine, Lariat, Lidy, Malm, Matheson, Nargon, Sparmo and Voltage series. Holsine, Matheson and Voltage soils have less than 18 percent total clay throughout the particle size control section. Lidy soils have sand and gravel at 23 to 34 inches. Lariat, Nargon, Malm soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock, Sparmo soil shave 35 to 85 percent rock fragments at depths of 35 to 45 inches and are very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Atomic soils are generally on basalt plains but may also be on alluvial fan terraces. Elevations range from 4,500 to 6,000 feet. Slopes are 1 to 20 percent. The parent material is alluvium from loess. Atomic soils are on the mounds in a mound intermound pattern ground. The climate is semiarid with dry summers. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 13 inches including 2 to 4 feet of snowfall. The frost-free period ranges from 70 to 105 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aecet, Pancheri, Splittop, Sparmo, Techick, Tenno and the competing Sparmo soils. Aecet soils are fine-loamy and 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Pancheri and Splittop soils are coarse-silty. Techick soils are fine-loamy and have a mollic epipedon. Tenno soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for range. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Idaho. These soils are extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wood River Area, Idaho, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features present in this pedon:
Ochric- the zone from 0 to 15 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Calcic- the zone from 15 to 46 inches (Bk1, and Bkq horizons) carbonates decrease from 23 percent at about 18 inches to 16 percent of about 36 inches.
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (A2, Bk and Bkq horizons) averages about 20 percent total clay and 10 percent carbonate clay and 26 percent fine sand or coarser; coarse-loamy family.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data S94ID-013-001 is from within a few feet of the official series type location.