LOCATION GRUBE NV

Established Series
Rev. PWB-TM-JVC-JBF
03/2012

GRUBE SERIES

The Grube series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from quartzite. Grube soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Grube extremely cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered by 15 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones.

A1--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, many fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 5 cm thick)

A2--13 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, common fine, common medium, few coarse, and very coarse roots; many very fine and many fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 23 cm thick)

Bt--28 to 66 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, few medium, coarse, and very coarse roots; common fine and common medium tubular pores and common fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (28 to 46 cm thick)

Btk--66 to 99 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, few medium, and coarse roots; common fine and common medium tubular pores and common fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones; common faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as many prominent coats on bottoms of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (23 to 38 cm thick)

Bkq--99 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely cobbly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as many prominent coats on rock fragments; few faint coats of opaline silica on bottoms of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 4 miles south of White Cloud Mountain; about 2,100 feet east and 1,650 feet south of the northwest corner of section 10, T. 18 N., R. 68 E.; USGS Third Butte East 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 26 minutes 18 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 18 minutes 51 seconds W, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry from June through October except for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and October; xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness; 25 to 38 cm; does not include the Bt horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 76 to 122 cm.
Depth to identifiable secondary calcium carbonates: 50 to 76 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 64 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 28 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mainly cobbles and some stones. Lithology of fragments is mainly quartzite.

A horizons
Value: 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.

Bt horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Clay content: 28 to 35 percent.
Structure: Fine or medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Hard to very hard dry, very friable to friable moist.

Btk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 28 to 35 percent.
Structure: Fine or medium subangular blocky.
Consistence: Hard to very hard dry, very friable to friable moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent.
Other features: This horizon qualifies as a calcic horizon in some pedons.

Bkq horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Structure: Fine or medium subangular blocky.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dacont, Dacore, Derapter, Majuba and Satt series.

Dacont soils do not receive 10 to 20 days cumulative precipitation between July and October. Dacore soils average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, have mainly igneous gravel, and have calcic horizon at depths of 20 to 48 cm from the soil surface. Derapter soils are deep to lithic contacts and do not have calcic horizons. Majuba soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Satt soils have 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grube soils are on mountains. They typically occur on concave backslope positions. They formed in colluvium derived from quartzite. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,830 to 2,620 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 360 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Tractuff series. Tractuff soils are shallow to lithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grube soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Thurber's needlegrass. Singleleaf pinyon, Utah juniper, and curlleaf mountainmahogany are present in some areas R028XA064NV Shallow Loam 10-14 P.Z.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part, 2004. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 28 to 99 cm (Bt and Btk horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 66 to 152 cm (Btk and Bkq horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 99 to 152 cm (Bkq horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 28 to 78 cm (Bt horizon and part of the Btk horizon).

The classificatiom was changed from Calciargidic Argixerolls to Aridic Calcixerolls 4/2012 to better reflect the xeric soil moisture regime for the series concept.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.