LOCATION ICEBERG NV+AZ
Established Series
Rev. DJM-LJL-JVC
04/2015
ICEBERG SERIES
The Iceberg series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone. Iceberg soils are on mountains. Slope ranges from 8 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 72 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, hyperthermic Lithic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Iceberg extremely stony loam, rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 50 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles and 25 percent stones.
A--0 to 2 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely stony loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles and 25 percent stones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bk1--2 to 7 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; common fine calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 55 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--7 to 17 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine through coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; many fine calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 20 percent pebbles, 40 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 8 to 18 inches).
R--17 inches; hard limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; about 45 miles south of Mesquite in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the north end of Devil's Cove next to Iceberg Canyon; about 1,470 feet south and 730 feet east of the northeast corner of section 29, T. 20 S., R. 71 E.; USGS Iceberg Canyon, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees 10 minutes 11 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees 05 minutes 08 seconds west longitude; UTM 11s, 762143e, 4006712n; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part during winter and spring and intermittingly moist in the upper part following summer convection storms; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 72 to 78 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon - 1 to 3 inches.
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches.
Control section:
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 70 percent in the less than 20 millimeter fraction.
A horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 5 to 40 percent
Bk1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: Loam or fine sandy loam..
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: : 35 to 60 percent .
Other features: Identifiable secondary carbonates occur as common or many pendants and coats on rock fragments.
Bk2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loam or fine sandy loam.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 35 to 60 percent .
Other features: Identifiable secondary carbonates occurs as common or many pendants and coats on rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Santaelena (TX) series. Santaelena soils average greater than 18 percent clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Iceberg soils are on mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone. Slope ranges from 8 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,200 to 3,500 feet. The climate is arid with warm, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 6 inches, the mean annual temperature is 70 to 76 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 300 to 360 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Helkitchen and
Zeheme soils. Helkitchen and Zeheme soils have a thermic temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly white brittlebush, creosotebush, Nevada ephedra, and desert needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada; MLRA 30; These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mohave County (Grand Canyon Area), Arizona, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 2 inches (A horizon).
Calcic horizon - 2 to 17 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Lithic contact - 17 inches (R layer).
Particle-size control section - 10 to 17 inches (part of the Bk2 horizon).
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 4/2006. ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.