LOCATION DENMARK                 UT+NV

Established Series
Rev. CSW/VLP/MJD/JBF
04/2012

DENMARK SERIES

The Denmark series consists of shallow over hardpan, well drained soils. These soils formed in alluvium and residuum derived from sedimentary and igneous rocks. They are on fan remnants, hillslopes and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 2 to 20 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, carbonatic, mesic, shallow Calcic Petrocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Denmark gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A1--0 to 5 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; few fine pores; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; carbonates are in fine hardpan fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 20 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; few fine pores; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; carbonates are in fine nodules, and in hardpan fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Bk1--20 to 28 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine pores; 20 percent gravel and hardpan fragments; violently effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, in nodules and in hardpan fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Bk2--28 to 46 cm; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gravelly loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; 20 percent gravel and hardpan fragments; violently effervescent, carbonates are disseminated and in fine nodules; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)

Bkkm--46 to 84 cm; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) cemented material, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; rigid; common fine roots penetrating to the smooth troweled upper surface of the hardpan and spread horizontally; very strongly cemented by calcium carbonate with platy layers of carbonate hardpan with distinct laminations on the surface that are separated by thin layers of sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam; surface laminae (1 to 6 mm thick) are pink (7.5YR 8/4) and very strongly cemented; violently effervescent (dissolves completely in acid); gravel and cobbles comprise 35 percent of the hardpan matrix.

TYPE LOCATION: Sanpete County, Utah; 1 1/2 miles south and 2 miles east of Moroni at the north edge of a gravel pit; 500 feet west and 150 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 24, T. 15 S., R. 3 E.; USGS Moroni 7.5 minute quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 30 minutes 20 seconds N and longitude 111 degrees 31 minutes 41 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring and for brief periods in late summer due convection storms; aridic bordering on xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8.5 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to the petrocalcic horizon: 35 to 50 cm.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: More than 40 percent.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent (mainly gravel, some cobbles and angular hardpan fragments)

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.

Bw horizon (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 dry, 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Averages loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent gravel and cobbles.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Gravelly sandy clay loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: weighted average of 15 to 35 percent (individual horizons may range to 10 percent).
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline.

Bkkm horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 through 8 dry or moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Cementation: Very strongly cemented or indurated.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series presently in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Denmark soils are on gently to moderately steep fan remnants, hillslopes and mountain slopes at elevations of 1,524 to 2,005 meters. Slopes are 2 to 20 percent. They formed in alluvium and residuum derived from limestone, sandstone, quartzite, basic and intermediate igneous rocks. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 11 degrees C. Average annual precipitation ranges from 200 to 300 mm. Frost-free period is 100 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arapien, Kessler, Linco, Lisade and Sanpete soils. None of these soils have indurated hardpans and all are very deep. Arapien, Kessler, Lisade and Sanpete soils have a calcic horizon. Linco soils have horizons of silica accumulation that are brittle when moist at a depth of 10 to 25 cm. Sanpete soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well or somewhat excessively drained; medium to low runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, yellowbrush, Indian ricegrass, cheatgrass, winterfat, black sagebrush, squirreltail and galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southwestern Utah and east-central Nevada. The series is moderately extensive. MLRA 47 and 28A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Richfield Area, Utah, 1947.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm. (A1 and part of A2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone of secondary carbonate accumulation from 20 to 46 cm. (Bk1, Bk2 horizons).
Petrocalcic horizon: - An indurated carbonate hardpan at 46 cm. (Bkkm horizon)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 46 cm (Bk2 and part of Bk1 horizons).

The classification was changed from Xerollic Paleorthids to Calcic Petrocalcids in 9/94.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.