LOCATION GLACIERPOINT            CA

Established Series
Rev. BRY/KDA/KP/JBB
09/2021

GLACIERPOINT SERIES

The Glacierpoint series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in colluvium and/or till derived from granitic rock. Glacierpoint soils are on the slopes of mountains and moraines, on bedrock benches, on talus slopes associated with glacial-valley walls, and in joints and fractures of bedrock on mountainsides. Slope is 0 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1,245 millimeters and the mean annual air temperature is about 6.7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic Vitrandic Humicryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Glacierpoint stony loamy sand, on a north-facing, 54 percent slope under a cover of red fir and white fir at an elevation of 2,289 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on July 23, 1996, the soil was moist throughout.).

Oi--0 to 2 cm; stony slightly decomposed plant material; 3 percent gravels, 2 percent cobbles, and 13 percent stones. (0 to 4 cm thick)

Oe--2 to 3 cm; stony moderately decomposed plant material; 3 percent gravels, 2 percent cobbles, and 13 percent stones. (0 to 2 cm thick)

A1--3 to 11 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony loamy sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine granular and weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; many very fine roots; 8 percent granitoid gravels, 5 percent granitoid cobbles, and 20 percent granitoid stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

A2--11 to 41 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky, and weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; many very fine, few fine, and common medium roots; 10 percent granitoid gravels, 5 percent granitoid cobbles, and 25 percent granitoid stones; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (16 to 40 cm thick)

Bw--41 to 69 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky, and weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium, coarse and very coarse roots; 10 percent granitoid gravels, 5 percent granitoid cobbles, and 25 percent granitoid stones; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt irregular boundary. (28 to 85 cm thick)

C1--69 to 118 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) very stony very fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak very fine and medium granular structure; soft, loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; few medium and coarse, and common very fine, fine, and very coarse roots; 20 percent granitoid gravels, 5 percent granitoid cobbles, and 10 percent granitoid stones; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); gradual smooth boundary. (24 to 60 cm thick)

C2--118 to 163 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) gravelly very fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grain and weak very fine granular structure; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; few very fine, medium, and very coarse roots; 15 percent granitoid gravels, 7 percent granitoid cobbles, and 5 percent granitoid stones; very strongly acid (pH 5.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Mariposa County, California; about 0.75 mile southwest of Ostrander Rocks, north of Mono Meadow off Glacier Point Road; approximately 3,200 feet (975.4 meters) east and 1,000 feet (305.0 meters) north of the southwest corner of section 7, T. 3 S., R. 22 E., Mount Diablo Base and Meridian; Latitude 37 degrees, 41 minutes, 0.1 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 36 minutes, 1.3 seconds west; USGS Half Dome, California Quadrangle, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 0 to 6 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is more than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 80 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Umbric epipedon thickness: 25 to 70 cm

Base saturation: less than 50 percent (by ammonium acetate)

Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 1.0 percent (by weight) to a depth of 75 cm

Volcanic glass: 5 to 30 percent in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction in an 18 cm thick layer within a depth of 75 cm from the mineral soil surface

Surface rock fragments: 0 to 80 percent

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent gravel, cobbles, stones, or boulders
Clay content: 0.5 to 6 percent
Sand content: 65 to 90 percent
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.0

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry, 10YR moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3 dry and moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0.5 to 6 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 80 percent granitic gravels, cobbles, or stones
Organic matter content: 6 to 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid
Other characteristics: some pedons have an AC horizon

Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist, 3 to 6 dry
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, coarse sandy loam, or sandy loam
Clay content: 0.5 to 6 percent
Rock fragment content: 20 to 80 percent granitic gravels, cobbles, stones, or boulders
Organic matter content: 0.75 to 4 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid
Other characteristics: some pedons have a BA or BC horizon

C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 5 moist, 4 to 7 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry and moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, fine sand, very fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Clay content: 0.5 to 6 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 90 percent granitic gravels, cobbles, stones, or boulders
Organic matter content: 0.2 to 3 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Glacierpoint soils are on slopes of mountains and moraines, bedrock benches, on talus slopes associated with glacial-valley walls and floors, and in joints and fractures of bedrock on mountainsides. Slope is 0 to 70 percent. Elevation is 1,640 to 3,625 meters. These soils formed in colluvium and or till derived from granitoid rock. The mean annual precipitation is 787 to 1,600 mm. Mean annual temperature is 1.5 to 10.3 degrees C. The frost-free period is 15 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canisrocks, Crazymule, and Marmotland soils. Canisrocks soils do not have an umbric epipedon and/or a cambic horizon. Crazymule soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size class. Marmotland soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size class and have vitrandic properties.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, low or medium runoff; saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for watershed and recreation in Yosemite National Park. For vegetation see remarks.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are in the Sierra Nevada in and near Yosemite National Park. The soils of this series are of moderate extent. MLRA 22A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yosemite National Park, California, 2006

REMARKS: Isotic mineralogy class based on lab data. Glacierpoint soils have an umbric epipedon and may have a cambic horizon. The vegetation according to Preliminary Description of Terrestrial Natural Community of California, Robert F. Holland and Fish and Game, State of California, 1986 is Lodge pole Pine Forest (86110), Red Fir Forest (85310), Jeffrey Pine-Fir Forest (85210), Sierra White Fir Forest (84200), Red Fir Forest (85310), White Fir mixed Coniferous Forest (84232), and Mountain Hemlock Forest (86800).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - The zone from 3 to 69 centimeters (A and Bw horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 28 to 103 centimeters (A2, Bw, and C1 horizons).

Some pedons may have Oi, Oe, and/or Oa horizons.

Series updated in 2021 to include ranges of Glacierpoint soils described in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Climate ranges and vegetation were not updated at this time.

Series previously classified as Sandy-skeletal, isotic Xeric Dystrocryepts. Updated in 2021.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL lab data from pedon number 97P0120 (Pedon ID: 96CA109004) and 18N0946 (Pedon ID: S2012CA7921062) are available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory at the National Soil Survey Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Soil Classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.