LOCATION DIME                    CA

Established Series
REV: PBF/ET
04/2015

DIME SERIES

The Dime series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium. The Dime soils are on inselbergs and erosion remnants. Slope ranges from 4 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 67 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: On Dime extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, 8 to 35 percent slopes at an elevation of 2,490 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

The soil surface is covered by 70 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones.

A -- 0 to 1 inch; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; violently effervescent with disseminated lime throughout (calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 percent); 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bt -- 1 to 3 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots throughout; few faint patchy clay films on ped faces; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime throughout (calcium carbonate equivalent of 6 percent); 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

Bk1 -- 3 to 10 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; weak, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; violently effervescent; many prominent carbonate coats on rock fragments, medium and coarse carbonate threads, bands, and masses throughout (calcium carbonate equivalent of 15 percent); 20 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary.

Bk2 -- 10 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; weak, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots throughout; violently effervescent; many prominent carbonate coats on rock fragments, medium and coarse carbonate threads, bands, and masses throughout (calcium carbonate equivalent of 12 percent); 25 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizon is 13 to 36 inches)

Ck -- 32 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; few prominent carbonate coats on rock fragments, medium and coarse carbonate threads, bands, and masses throughout (calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 percent); 37 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 650 feet east and 250 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 31, T. 13 N., R. 4 E., 35 degrees, 10 minutes, and 54.20 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 36 minutes, and 13.07 seconds west longitude, East of Langford Well quadrangle. (UTM 11S, 0536089e 3893268n)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section - 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 72 degrees F.

Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.

Depth to calcic horizon: 3 to 10 inches. The calcic horizon contains between 5 and 20 percent (by volume) identifiable secondary carbonates.

Surface rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones, and 0 to 15 percent boulders.


Control section -

Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.

Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles.

Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent.


A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR

Value: 5 to 7 dry, and 3 to 5 moist

Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist

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

Clay content: 8 to 18 percent

Rock fragments: 30 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 15
percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones; range is
from 35 to 65 percent

Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bt horizon (some pedons do not have a Bt horizon)
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR

Value: 5 to 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 4 to 6 dry or moist

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

Clay: 8 to 18 percent

Rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent gravel and 0 to 20
percent cobbles; range is from 20 to 55 percent

Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent

Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline


Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR

Value: 5 to 8 dry and 4 to 7 moist

Chroma: 2 or 4 dry and 3 or 4 moist

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

Clay: 8 to 18 percent

Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 45
percent cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent stones; range is
from 25 to 85 percent

Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 20 percent

Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline


Ck horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR

Value: 5 to 8 dry and 4 to 7 moist

Chroma: 2 or 4 dry and 3 or 4 moist

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

Clay: 8 to 15 percent

Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 45
percent cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent stones; range is
from 25 to 85 percent

Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 5 percent

Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Corazones (TX), Nickel (NV), Railroad (T NV), and Stagecoach (AZ) series. Corazones soils do not receive significant precipitation during winter months. Nickel and Railroad soils have Bw horizons, are deeper to a calcic horizon, and allow redder hues in all horizons. Nickel soils also have darker chromas in the A and Bk horizons, have fewer cobbles, and no stones in any horizon. In addition, Nickel soils allow bedrock between 40 and 60 inches; and Railroad soils have finer textures and bedrock within 40 inches. Stagecoach soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section for more than 20 days cumulative betwen July and September.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Dime soils are on inselbergs and erosion remnants. Slope ranges from 4 to 50 percent. The soils formed in material from mixed sources. Elevations are 1,800 to 2,600 feet. The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and warm winters. Most precipitation comes in the winter but in some areas it is sporadic. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 5 inches. The mean annual temperature is 64 to 70 degrees F. Mean July temperature is about 78 degrees F., and mean January temperature is about 42 degrees F. The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Cajon, Goldivide (T), Gravesumit (T), and Livefire soils. Cajon and Livefire soils are on adjacent inset fans and sand sheets, respectively, have sandy particle-size control sections, and do not have a calcic horizon. Goldivide and Gravesumit are on adjacent fan remnants and fans. Both soils have coarse-loamy particle-size control sections and argillic horizons. In addition, Goldivide does not have a calcic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

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

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is coined.

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

1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 1 inch (A horizon)
2. Calcic horizon -- 3 to 32 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
3. Particle-size control section -- 10 to 40 inches (Bk2
and part of the Ck horizon)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.