LOCATION CAPULIN NM+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Capulin loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, slightly friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt size fractions; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine pores; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt size fractions; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 5 to 20 inches)
Bt1--10 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; many insect cavities lined with clay films, few distinct clay films on faces of peds; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt size fractions; 5 to 10 percent basalt pebbles; strongly effervescent; few fine hard caliche nodules; moderately alkaline; clear irregular boundary.
Bt2--18 to 31 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and coarse roots; few fine pores; few distinct clay films; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt size fractions; 5 to 10 percent basalt pebbles; effervescent with calcium carbonate segregated in a few hard concretions; moderately alkaline; clear irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 15 to 30 inches)
Bk1--31 to 41 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt size fractions; 15 percent basalt pebbles and cobbles; strongly effervescent with calcium carbonate segregated in hard concretions and on outside of basalt fragments; strongly alkaline; clear irregular boundary.
Bk2--41 to 46 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) cobbly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; very hard, extremely firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly cemented; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt size fractions; 30 percent rock fragments; strongly alkaline. (Combined thickness of Bk horizons is 10 to 60 inches)
R-- 46 inches; hard basalt bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Union County, New Mexico; near Clayton; 1,450 feet west and 200 feet north of SE corner of sec. 11, T.26N., R.33E.; 103 degrees, 23 minutes, 21 seconds west longitude; 36 degrees, 29 minutes, 48 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. Moist intermittently April through August. Driest months are October through March.
Mean annual soil temperature:47 degrees to 57 degrees F.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 20 inches
The combined thickness of the A and Bt: 20 to 35 inches.
The depth to lithic contact: 40 to 72 inches or more.
The particle size control section:
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent cobbles or gravel.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
It is noncalcareous in some pedons.
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: silt loam, loam, silty clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
This horizon is usually calcareous with the calcium carbonate content increasing with depth. Some pedons are noncalcareous in the upper part of the Bt horizon.
Bk horizon a BC horizon is present in some pedons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5to8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Rock fragment content: 5 to 35 percent, typically cobbly, and in some pedons, it rests directly on basalt bedrock
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 percent to 30 percent ???
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chacuaco (CO) and Rosebud (NE) series.
Chacuaco soils: have a lithic contact with sandstone between 20 and 40 inches.
Rosebud soils: have a paralithic contact with sandstone between 20 and 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: base of volcanic cones over basalt flows, lava plateaus, basalt mesas and fans.
Elevations: 5,000 to 7,500 feet.
Slope: 0 to 9 percent.
Parent material: medium textured alluvium and residuum weathered mainly from basalt. In some areas, the material may have been reworked by wind.
Mean annual temperature: 49 to 53 degrees F.
Mean annual temperature: 51 degrees F.; the summer temperature is 70 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 18, 16 inches at the type location.
P-E index: 24.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Apache,
Carnero, and
Torreon soils.
Apache soils: do not have an argillic horizon and have lithic contact at depths of less than 20 inches.
Carnero soils: have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches and are in the fine family.
Torreon soils: are in the fine family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes and moderate on 5 to 9 percent slopes; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland. Small areas are irrigated and some have been dry farmed in the past, but most of these have since been abandoned because of insufficient soil moisture. The native vegetation is predominantly blue grama, western wheatgrass and galleta grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado. LRR G, MLRA 70; The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eastern New Mexico, Reconnaissance W-58 (SCS), 1936.
REMARKS: Diagnostic Horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section - 10 to 30 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 18 inches. (A1, A2,, and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - 10 to 30 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - 31 to 46 inches. (Bk horizons)
Taxonomic Version: Second Edition, 1999