LOCATION CEBOLLETA          NM
Established Series
Rev. CLC/TLP/RJA
06/2006

CEBOLLETA SERIES


The Cebolleta series consists of moderately deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in windblown sediments and alluvium over basalt. Cebolleta soils are on hills and mesas. Slopes range from 1 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 21 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Cebolleta cobbly loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--1 to 0 inch; pine needles and oak leaves; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)

A--0 to 4 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) cobbly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; few very fine pores; 2 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles and 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)

BA--4 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common coarse, fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles and 5 percent pebbles; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)

Bt1--10 to 19 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few coarse and common fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 30 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bt2--19 to 25 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very cobbly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 25 percent cobbles and 20 percent pebbles; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)

2R--25 inches; basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Cibola County, New Mexico; 0.86 miles west of Big Lake; latitude 35 degrees, 15 minutes, 36 seconds. Longitude 107 degrees, 31 minutes, 17 seconds.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime

Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches

Thickness of the mollic epipedon - 8 to 15 inches

Depth to the base of the Bt horizon - 20 to 40 inches

Rock fragments in the particle-size control section - 35 to 60 percent by volume, with 0 to 5 percent stones, 20 to 30 percent cobbles and 10 to 25 percent pebbles.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: very cobbly loam or cobbly loam.
Rock fragments: 25 to 45 percent rock fragments by volume, with 0 to 5 percent stones, 15 to 30 percent cobbles and 5 to 10 percent pebbles.

BA horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: very cobbly loam or very cobbly clay loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent by volume, with 0 to 5 percent stones, 30 to 35 percent cobbles and 5 to 10 percent pebbles.

Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Borky (MT), Rionutria (NM), Roy (MT), Shanley (MT) and Storyhill (MT) series. Borky soils have a paralithic contact of sandstone. Rionutria soils have a lithic contact of limestone. Roy, Shanley and Storyhill soils are very deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils formed in windblown sediments and alluvium over basalt on hills and mesatops, at elevations of 7,500 to 9,400 feet. Slope ranges from 1 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 18 to 24 inches and the mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 80 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Borrego, Charo, Microy, Raton and Trag series. Borrego and Raton soils have a lithic contact between 10 and 20 inches. Charo and Microy soils have less than 35 rock fragments in the particle-size control section and Trag soils are deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wood products and livestock grazing. Principal native vegetation is Arizona fescue, blue grama, snakeweed, oak, ponderosa pine and some junipers.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central mountains of New Mexico. This series is of small extent. MLRA 39.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cibola County, New Mexico, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from about 0 to 10 inches. (A, BA horizons)

Argillic horizon - The zone from about 10 to 25 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)

Lithic contact - The occurrence of basalt at about 25 inches. (2R horizon)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.