LOCATION INFANTRY NMInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic, shallow Calcic Petrocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Infantry very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 12 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky parts to weak fine granular structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 50 percent subangular 0.1- to 3-inch limestone fragments; violent effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline, pH 8.1, pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bk--2 to 10 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, extremely cobbly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) crushed, moist; 16 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky and weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 100 percent continuous prominent carbonate coats on rock fragments; 35 percent subangular 0.1- to 3.0-inch limestone fragments and 40 percent subangular 3- to 10-inch limestone fragments; violent effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline, pH 8.4, pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Bkm--10 to 14 inches; white (7.5YR 8/1) crushed; indurated; violent effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; upper 1/8 inch is laminated; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 30 inches thick)
2BCk1--14 to 22 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) crushed, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) crushed, moist; 4 percent clay; single grain; 80 percent continuous prominent carbonate coats on rock fragments; 15 percent subangular 3- to 10-inch limestone fragments and 60 percent subangular 0.1- to 3-inch limestone fragments; violent effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2, pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
3BCk2--22 to 34 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) crushed, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) crushed, moist; 22 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 60 percent continuous prominent carbonate coats on rock fragments; 70 percent subangular 0.1- to 3-inch limestone fragments; violent effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2, pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
4BCk3--34 to 52 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) crushed, extremely cobbly loamy sand, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) crushed, moist; 8 percent clay; single grain; 10 percent discontinuous prominent carbonate coats on rock fragments; 35 percent subangular 0.1- to 3-inch limestone fragments and 40 percent subangular 3.0- to 10-inch limestone fragments; violent effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2, pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 26 inches thick)
5BCk4--52 to 80 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, loamy sand, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) crushed, moist; 13 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky and weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; violent effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2, pH meter 1:1 water.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; approximately 11.2 miles east and .3 miles north of Oro Grande, 1,600 feet south and 590 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 22, T. 22 S., R. 10 E. USGS Wilde Tank topographic quadrangle; latitude 32 degrees, 22 minutes, 49 seconds north and longitude 105 degrees 53 minutes, 57.5 seconds west. UTM zone 13S, 415415E, 3582780N; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Ustic aridic soil moisture regime. The moisture control section is usually dry in all parts less than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F.
Mean annual soil temperature: 61 to 65 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 1 to 4 inches
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 7 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 12 to 20 percent
Coarse fragment content: greater than 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 60 percent (less than 20 mm fraction)
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Coarse fragments: limestone fragments; 35 to 75 percent total coarse fragments; 35 to 75 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam
Coarse fragments: limestone fragments; 60 to 85 percent total coarse fragments; 25 to 40 to percent gravel; 35 to 60 percent cobbles
2BCk1 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loamy coarse sand or coarse sandy loam
Coarse fragments: limestone fragments; 60 to 85 percent total coarse fragments; 60 to 70 to percent gravel; 0 to 25 percent cobbles
3BCk2 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam or sandy loam
Coarse fragments: limestone fragments; 60 to 85 percent total coarse fragments; 50 to 85 to percent gravel; 0 to 15 percent cobbles
4BCk3 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand or loamy sand
Coarse fragments: limestone fragments; 60 to 85 percent total coarse fragments; 25 to 40 to percent gravel; 35 to 60 percent cobbles
5BCk4 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand or loamy sand
Coarse fragments: limestone fragments; 0 to 15 percent total coarse fragments; 0 to 15 to percent gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ferrogold (NV),
Neso (NM),
Orrubo (AZ),
Paisano (TX),
Philder (NM),
Sequite (NV),
Sutherland (AZ),
Tencee (NM),
Wechech (NV) and Wodovar (NV) series.
Ferrogold, Orrubo, Sequite, Wechech, and Wodovar soils are in the
Mohave Desert (MLRA 30) receive mostly winter precipitation and are usually dry from April through November. Neso soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 59 to 62 degrees F. In addition, Neso soils are in the Pecos-Canadian
Plains and Valleys (MLRA 70) and are more moist in
May and June. Orrubo soils have Cr horizons below the hardpan at depths between 17 and 30 inches. Ferrogold and Philder soils have petrocalcic horizons from 14 to 20 inches. Sutherland soils have mean annual precipitation of 12 to 16 inches. Tencee soils are drier in the control section for longer periods (typic/aridic). Wodovar soils have rock fragments that are mostly lime nodules and formed in lacustrine sediments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Alluvium from limestone modified by eolian sands
Landform: Erosion remnants on fan piedmonts
Slope: 3 to 10 percent
Mean annual temperature: 60 to 64 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 12 inches
Precipitation pattern: Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The driest months are March and April. Precipitation during the months of January, February, and March is less than 13 percent of the total.
Frost-free period: 170 to 210 days
Elevation: 4,200 to 5,300 feet
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Bankston,
Crossen,
Mariola,
Reyab,
Sonic, and
Tinney soils.
Reyab and Tinney soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the series control section and are on inset fans.
Crossen soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the series control section and are on erosion remnants.
Mariola soils are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon and are on erosion remnants.
Sonic soils do not have petrocalcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid above and below the very slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon. Runoff is very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing. Vegetation is of the desert grassland type consisting of sideoats grama, bush muhly, black grama, creosotebush, mesquite, whitethorn acacia, ephredra, and agave spp.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico; LRR D, MLRA 42; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otero County, New Mexico; 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 0 to 10 inches. (A and Bk horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 2 inches. (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 2 to 10 inches. (Bk horizon)
Petrocalcic horizon: The zone from 10 to 14 inches. (Bkm horizon)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
The assignment of this soil to an Ustic aridic moisture regime is questioned. This soil is too dry (mean annual precipitation 10 to 12 inches) to be Ustic aridic.