LOCATION EBERT                   AZ

Established Series
Rev. JMH/CF/MJA
02/2025

EBERT SERIES

The Ebert series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in terrace deposits derived from basalt. Ebert soils are on relict terrace deposits. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Petrocalcic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Maryrussell-Ebert complex (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 1 inch (0 to 4 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2), loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular; soft, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common irregular pores; few very fine roots throughout; 2 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary

Bt--1 to 10 inches (4 to 25 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3), clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky; moderately hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine irregular pores; common very fine roots throughout; 10 percent gravel; very slight effervescence; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary

Bk--10 to 17 inches (25 to 42 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/3), clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; few irregular pores; few medium roots throughout; 40 percent gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary

Bkm--17 to 19 inches (42 to 49 cm); cemented material; petrocalcic materials

R--19 to 29 inches (49 to 74 cm); basalt bedrock

TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; located about 24.8 kilometers (15.4 miles) southwest of Grand Canyon Junction, Arizona; USGS Quadrangle Ebert Mountain; Latitude 35.576739, Longitude -111.882707, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on aridic
Mean annual soil temperature: 49 to 53 degrees F
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent
Depth to lithic contact: 11 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 (3 or 4 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 (3 or 4 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, or silty clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR): 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 (4 or 5 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, or silty clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR): 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately alkaline

Bkm horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 (4 or 5 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist

COMPETING SERIES: None.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: terrace deposits derived from basalt
Landform: weathered lava fields
Slopes: 1 to 8 percent
Elevation: 5,200 to 7,000 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 48 to 52 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 18 inches
Precipitation peaks in July and August, and in winter months. May and June are much drier.
Frost-free period: 120 to 140 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Maryrussell, Ashfork, and Dogpaws soils. Maryrussell soils do not have a petrocalcic. Maryrussell soils are in the deeper soils of terraces. Ashfork and Dogpaws soils are in residuum of lava fields.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, moderately rapid permeability

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as grazing land. Native vegetation is mainly blue grama, bottlebrush squirreltail, and broom snakeweed.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. MLRA 39.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coconino County, Arizona.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from 0 to 4 centimeters. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon; from 4 to 25 centimeters (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon: from 25 to 42 centimeters. (Bk horizon).
Petrocalcic horizon: from 42 to 49 centimeter (Bkm horizon)
Lithic contact: at 49 centimeters. (R bedrock)
Name is taken from nearby Mt. Ebert
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Thirteenth Edition, 2022
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.