LOCATION CROSS AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic Aridic Lithic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cross gravelly clay loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick.)
Bt--3 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick.)
Bk--14 to 19 inches; white (N8/), pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) moist; cobbly clay loam, massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; violently effervescent; 50 percent hard pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick.)
2R--19 to 20 inches; fractured basalt; common carbonates in joints.
TYPE LOCATION: Yavapai County, Arizona. 2/10 mile north and 3/10 mile east of SW corner of sec. 34, T. 23 N., R. 5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 8 - 20 inches
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some parts of July-
September and December-February. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Air temperature: 50 - 53 degrees F.
Rock fragments: 5-35 percent pebbles, cobbles
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR dry; 7.5YR moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry or moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry; 2 moist
Texture: gravelly clay loam, clay loam (30-35 percent clay)
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR dry; 5YR or 7.5YR moist
Value: 2 to 5 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam or clay (35-55 percent clay)
Reaction: Slightly to moderately alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 8 dry; 7 or 8 moist
Chroma: 2 dry or moist
Texture: cobbly clay loam (35-40 percent clay)
Reaction: Slightly to moderately alkaline
Carbonates: 15 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cabezon (NM), and Luzena (AZ) series. The Cabezon and Luzena soils lack a horizon of lime accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Cross soils are at elevations of 4,500 to 6,500 feet on plateaus and mesas. They formed from basalt and pyroclastics. Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. The climate is semiarid with an average annual precipitation ranging from 12 to 14 inches occurring as summer thunderstorms and as rain and snow in winter, a mean annual temperature of 50o to 54 degrees F., an average January temperature of 35 degrees F., and an average July temperature of 73 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from 130 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Apache, Ashfork, Aut, Cabezon, Springerville, Thunderbird and Ziegler soils. Apache soils do not have an argillic horizon. Ashfork, Aut and Thunderbird soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Cabezon soils do not have a horizon of carbonate accumulation. Springerville soils crack when dry and are deep. Ziegler soils are moderately deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazing. Native vegetation consists of blue grama, tobosa, winterfat, cacti, and annuals.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Yavapai County and south central Coconino County, Arizona. Cross soils are moderately extensive. MLRAs 35, 36, & 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yavapai County, Arizona, Western Part, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 14 inches (A, Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 14 inches (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 19 inches (2R horizon)
The classification was changed to an Aridic Lithic subgroup in 2006.
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.