LOCATION INFERNOCONE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal over fragmental or cindery, glassy, frigid Humic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Infernocone gravelly ashy sandy loam - on a 10 percent slope at an elevation of 6,500 feet in rangeland. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on June 17, 1997, the soil was dry.
A1--0 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and non plastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots, common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel-size cinders; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
A2--5 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel-size cinders, slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 25 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel-size cinders; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
2BC--25 to 35 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very gravelly ashy sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel-size cinders; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
2C--35 to 60 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) gravel, black (10YR 2/1) moist; single grained; loose; common very fine to medium few coarse interstitial pores; 90 percent gravel-size cinders.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, Idaho, about 1.5 miles south of the Craters of the Moon Visitors Center; 1,800 feet east and 600 north of the southwest corner of section 18, T. 1 N., R. 25 E. Latitude - 113 degrees, 31 minutes, 44 seconds north; Longitude - 43 degrees, 23 minutes, 33 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
The soil moisture control section is dry for 90 to 120 days.
Depth to the 2C horizon is 25 to 40 inches
The mollic epipedon is 10 to 15 inches thick
Andic soil properties (A, Bw, 2BC horizons)
Glass content 30 to 50 percent
Phosphate retention 25 to 50
Acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron is 0.4 to 1.0
15 bar water dry 5 to 12 and moist 10 to 20 percent
A horizon
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3 moist
Coarse fragments - 15 to 30 percent cinders
Organic matter is 1 to 4 percent
Bw horizon
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Coarse fragments - 25 to 35 percent cinders
Organic matter is less than 1 percent
2BC horizon
Value - 2 or 3 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry or moist
Coarse fragments - 45 to 65 percent cinders
Textures - GRV-SL, GRV-LS
2C horizon
90 to 100 percent cinders
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Infernocone soils are on north-facing slopes and toe slopes of cinder cones. Elevation is 6,000 to 8,500 feet. Slopes are 2 to 40 percent. The soils are formed in recent ash and cinders from the Craters of the Moon volcanics. The average annual precipitation is 14 to 18 inches, most of which falls as snow. The average annual air temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigcinder, Echocrater, and Northcrater soils. Bigcinder soils are cryic and are associated with limber pine vegetation. Echocrater soils are on south slopes and lack a mollic epipedon. Northcrater soils lack andic soil properties in the upper part of the profile.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow runoff. Rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for wildlife and recreation. Vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. This series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Craters of the Moon Area, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features.
Andic soil properties extend from 0 to 35 inches
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 10 inches
Cambic horizon - 10 to 25 inches; mollic colors are litho-chromatic and organic matter is less than 1 percent