LOCATION CALCIO CA

Established Series
Rev. JCR/LJL/ET
04/2015

CALCIO SERIES

The Calcio series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in sandy alluvium from granite. Calcio soils are on fan remnants and have slopes of 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 5 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 67 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Calcio,rarely flooded-Edalph-Calcio complex, 0 to 8 percent slopes at an elevation of 2,680 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 20 percent gravel.

A--0 to 1 inch; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Btk1--1 to 6 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) clay bridging between sand grains and on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent gravel; very slightly effervescent (2 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 mm fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary.

Btk2--6 to 14 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) coarse sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots between peds; common very fine tubular pores; common prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 3 percent very coarse and extremely coarse, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) soft masses of carbonate; electrical conductivity of 1.0 dS/m, sodium adsorption ratio 4; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (19 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 millimeter fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizon is 8 to 17 inches.)

Btkq--14 to 24 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on sand and gravel; 2 percent coarse rounded brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) hard durinodes; 3 percent medium and coarse irregular very pale brown (10YR 8/2) hard durinodes; 9 percent medium and coarse irregular very pale brown (10YR 8/2) soft masses of carbonate; electrical conductivity of 1.1 dS/m, sodium adsorption ratio 8; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 millimeter fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear irregular boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)

Bkqn--24 to 42 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent coarse irregular brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) hard durinodes; 8 percent coarse and very coarse irregular very pale brown (10YR 8/2) soft masses of carbonate; electrical conductivity of 1.4 dS/m, sodium adsorption ratio 38; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 millimeter fraction); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear irregular boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)

Ckqn--42 to 48 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 3 percent medium and coarse irregular brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) hard durinodes; 2 percent coarse and very coarse irregular very pale brown (10YR 8/2) hard durinodes; electrical conductivity of 3.2 dS/m, sodium adsorption ratio 20; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 millimeter fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear wavy boundary.

Ckq--48 to 72 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 3 percent medium and coarse irregular brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) hard durinodes; 2 percent medium and coarse irregular very pale brown (10YR 8/2) hard durinodes; electrical conductivity of 4.7 dS/m, sodium adsorption ratio 10; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (2 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 millimeter fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 10 miles northeast of the town of Joshua Tree; about 200 feet west and 900 feet south of the northeast corner of section 31, T.3.N., R.7.E.; 34 degrees 18 minutes 26 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees 16 minutes 53 seconds west longitude; Goat Mountain quadrangle; UTM 11S, 0566120e 3796268n; 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 - 66 to 71 degrees F.

Depth to the argillic horizon - 1 to 3 inches.

Depth to the calcic horizon - 5 to 20 inches.

Surface rock fragments - 15 to 45 percent gravel.

Control section - Clay content: 15 to 18 percent in the upper part of the argillic and 5 to 15 in the lower part.

A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.

Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.

Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent.

Calcium carbonate equivalence: 0 to 5 percent.

Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m.

Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4.

Btk1 horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.

Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.

Chroma: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist.

Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.

Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent.

Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline.

Calcium carbonate equivalence: 0 to 5 percent.

Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m.

Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4.

Btk2 horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.

Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.

Chroma: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist.

Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.

Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent.

Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline.

Calcium carbonate equivalence: 10 to 25 percent.

Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m.

Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4.

Btkq horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.

Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.

Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist.

Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.

Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent.

Texture of the fine earth: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.

Reaction: strongly or very strongly alkaline.

Calcium carbonate equivalence: 10 to 25 percent.

Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m.

Sodium adsorption ratio: 5 to 12.

Bkqn horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.

Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.

Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist.

Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent.

Texture of the fine earth: loamy coarse sand or coarse sand.

Clay content: 1 to 6 percent.

Reaction: Strongly or very strongly alkaline.

Calcium carbonate equivalence: 5 to 15 percent.

Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m.

Sodium adsorption ratio: 31 to 45.

Ckqn horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.

Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.

Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.

Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent.

Clay content: 1 to 6 percent.

Reaction: strongly or very strongly alkaline.

Calcium carbonate equivalence: 1 to 5 percent.

Electrical conductivity: 2 to 4 dS/m.

Sodium adsorption ratio: 13 to 30.

Ckq horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.

Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.

Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.

Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent.

Clay content: 1 to 6 percent.

Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Calcium carbonate equivalence: 1 to 5 percent.

Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 dS/m.

Sodium adsorption ratio: 5 to 12.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gravesumit (CA), Onite (NM) and Yucca (NM) series. Gravesumit soils are more than 3 inches to the top of an argillic horizon. Onite and Yucca soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section for more than 20 days, cumulative, between July and September.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Calcio soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. These soils are formed in sandy alluvium from granite. Elevations are 1,880 to 3,140 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 2 to 6 inches; the mean annual air temperature is 64 to 69 degrees F. and the frost-free season is 240 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cajon, Desfirex and Edalph series. Cajon and Edalph soils do not have an argillic horizon. Cajon soils do not have a calcic horizon. Desfirex soils have a duripan at 20 to 40 inches and a fine-loamy particle size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to very low runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the upper part of the profile and rapid or very rapid permeability in the lower part of the profile.

USE AND VEGETATION: Calcio soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly white bursage and creosotebush.

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 coined from the Calcio fault that runs through the area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:

1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 1 inches (A horizon).
2. Argillic horizon -- 1 to 24 inches (Btk1, Btk2 and Btkq horizons).
3. Calcic horizon -- 6 to 42 inches (Btk2, Btkq and Bkqn horizons).
4. Particle-size control section -- 1 to 21 inches (Btk1, Btk2 and part of the Btkq horizons).

Sampled by National Lab # S97CA-071-008

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 3/2005. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.