LOCATION LAVERNE OK+KS TX

Established Series
CRC-TLC-SLM
09/2020

LAVERNE SERIES

The Laverne series consists of shallow, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in arenaceous limestone (caliche) from the Ash Hollow or Kimball Members, Ogallala Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age. These very gently to strongly sloping soils occur on hillslopes, structural benches, and mesa or butte summits. The slopes range from 1 to 12 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 533 mm (21 in) and mean annual air temperature is about 15 degrees C (59 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Calciustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Laverne loam - on a 2 percent slope in native rangeland at an elevation of 808 m (2651 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.) The surface is covered with about 7 percent gravels of strongly cemented caliche.

Ak--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) crushed, moist; moderate medium subangular blocky parts to moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 2 percent fine and medium worm casts throughout; 2 percent fine and 1 percent medium distinct spherical moderately cemented, white (10YR 8/1), dry, carbonate nodules with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent 2 to 5 mm, 3 percent 5 to 20 mm, and 1 percent 20 to 75 mm nonflat subangular strongly cemented calcrete (caliche) fragments in the matrix; strongly effervescent (6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. Thickness of the A or Ak horizons is 10 to 26 cm (4 to 10 in)

BCk--15 to 32 cm (6 to 12.6 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) crushed, moist; moderate medium subangular blocky parting to strong fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; common very fine, common fine, and common medium roots around fragments; 2 percent fine and medium worm casts; 10 percent distinct, white (10YR 8/1), dry, carbonate coats on all faces of peds; 5 percent fine and 5 percent medium distinct spherical moderately cemented, white (10YR 8/1), dry, carbonate nodules matrix; 25 percent 2 to 5 mm, 20 percent 5 to 20 mm, and 18 percent 20 to 75 mm nonflat subangular strongly cemented calcrete (caliche) fragments; strongly effervescent (31 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. Thickness of the Bk or BCk horizon is 8 to 28 cm (3 to 11 in)

R--32 to 102 cm (12.6 to 40 in); very pale brown (10YR 8/4) fractured arenaceous limestone bedrock, very pale brown (10YR 7/4), moist; very strongly cemented; many very fine and fine roots on top of horizon; strongly effervescent (40 percent calcium carbonate) moderately alkaline (pH 8.3)

TYPE LOCATION: Ellis County, Oklahoma; from the intersection of US Highway 283 and Fist Street in Shattuck, OK; 18 miles north on US Highway 283 and 0.5 mile east on county road 0330; 1660 ft (506 m) south and 1150 ft (350 m) east of the northwest corner of Section 27, Township 24N, Range 25W (Indian meridian).

USGS topographic quadrangle: May West, Oklahoma
Latitude: 36 degrees 31 minutes 55.43 seconds N
Longitude: 99 degrees 52 minutes 13.66 seconds W
Datum WGS84

Decimal Degrees:
Latitude: 36.5320639
Longitude: -99.8704611

UTM Northing: 4043317
UTM Easting: 422077
UTM zone 14S

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. July through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through June.
Solum thickness: 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 10 to 36 cm (4 to 14 in)
Depth to secondary carbonates: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in)
Depth to calcic horizon: 10 to 36 cm (4 to 14 in)
Depth to lithic horizon: 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in)
Surface Fragments: 1 to 14 percent; fine to coarse gravels; calcrete, caliche, and carbonate nodules and concretions

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Total clay content: 7 to 25 percent
Silicate clay content: 6 to 16 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 39 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 34 percent; fine to coarse gravels, cobbles; calcrete, caliche, and carbonate nodules and concretions

A or Ak horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, and their gravelly counterparts
Total clay content: 7 to 18 percent
Clay-sized carbonate content: 1 to 6 percent
Sand content: 35 to 75 percent
Rock Fragments: amount-0 to 35 percent; fine to coarse gravel; calcrete, caliche, carbonate nodules and concretions
Identifiable calcium carbonate: 0 to 10 percent; fine to coarse; carbonate masses, nodules and/or concretions
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 15 percent
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction (pH): Slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.4-8.4)

Bk and BCk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam and their gravelly and very gravelly counterparts
Total clay content: 7 to 25 percent
Clay-sized carbonate content: 6 to 15 percent
Sand content: 10 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 55 percent; fine to coarse gravel; calcrete, caliche, carbonate nodules and concretions
Identifiable calcium carbonate: 1 to 10 percent; fine to very coarse; carbonate masses, nodules and/or concretions
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction (pH): Slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.4-8.4)

R horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist or dry
Texture: Coarsely fractured strongly or very strongly cemented arenaceous limestone (caliche)
Cementation class: strong or very strong
Fractures: greater than 10 cm apart horizontally and range in size from 2 to 15mm (0.08 to 0.6 in); fractures may be filled with Bk or BCk material
Identifiable calcium carbonate: coatings, films, nodules and/concretions present in some fractures filled with Bk or BCk material
Effervescence: Strong or violent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 85 percent
Reaction (pH): Slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (7.4-8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Talpa series in the same family. Similar soils are the Dermott, Ector, Kimberson, Kerrick, Leuders, Ochiltree, Oplin, Plack, Potter, and Volco seris.
Talpa soils: formed in Permian-age dolomitic limestone and have a wetter soil moisture regime of MLRA 78B
Dermott soils: have a loamy-skeletal particle-size family, have a petrocalcic horizon, and occur in MLRA 78B
Ector, Leuders, and Oplin soils: have carbonatic mineralogy and formed in Cretaceous or Permian age limestone
Kimberson, Kerrick and Plack soils: have a petrocalcic horizon and formed in calcareous eolian deposits
Ochiltree soils: have an ochric epipedon, a petrocalcic horizon, and formed in rocky colluvium on hillslopes
Potter soils: have an ochric epipedon, are very deep, and formed in calcareous loamy alluvium
Volco soils: have a loamy-skeletal particle-size family, and formed in gravelly igneous bedrock in MLRA 42

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: Calcareous, loamy arenaceous limestone residuum derived from the Kimball or Ash Hollow Members of the Ogallala Formation of Neogene (Miocene-Pliocene) age.
Landscape: Dissected High Plains
Landform: hillslopes, structural benches
Slope: 1 to 12 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 457 to 660 mm (18 to 26 in)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index: 25 to 36
Mean annual air temperature: 13.3 to 15.6 degrees C (56 to 60 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 180 to 210 days
Elevation: 609.6 to 1219.2 m (2,000 to 4,000 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Alopark, Catesby, Mansic, Mocane, Ochiltree, Oklark, Paloduro, and Slapout series.
Alopark soils: are very deep, have an ochric epipedon, occur on lower positions, and formed from loamy alluvium of the Laverne Member, Ogallala Formation
Catesby and Paloduro soils: are very deep, occur on similar hillslope positions, and formed from calcareous loamy colluvium from the Kimball and Ash Hollow Members, Ogallala Formation
Mansic and Oklark soils: are very deep, occur on lower positions, and formed from loamy alluvium of the Laverne Member, Ogallala Formation
Mocane soils: are very deep, have an ochric epipedon, occur on lower positions, and are formed from sandy alluvium of the Laverne Member, Ogallala Formation
Ochiltree soils: have an ochric epipedon, have a petrocalcic horizon, occur on adjacent steep hillslopes, and formed from cobbly colluvium from the Kimball and Ash Hollow Members, Ogallala Formation
Slapout soils: have an ochric epipedon, are very deep, occur on similar hillslope positions, and formed from calcareous loamy colluvium from the Kimball and Ash Hollow Members, Ogallala Formation

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: well drained
Permeability: moderate in the solum and very slow in the bedrock
Runoff: very high on 1 to 12 percent slopes

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Used primarily as rangeland.
Native vegetation: predominantly sideoats grama, blue grama, hairy grama, and buffalograss.
Ecological sites assigned to phases and components of this series are listed below. Current ecological site assignments are in Web Soil Survey. Components of this series include the following ecological sites: Very Shallow 16-24" PZ (R077EY068TX)

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General Area: Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, northwest Oklahoma, and southwest Kansas
Land Resource Region: H - Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region
Major Land Resource Area: 77E - Southern High Plains Breaks
Extent: Moderate

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harper County, Oklahoma; 1998.

REMARKS:
Laverne series was formerly included in the Potter series.

Edited 08-2020 (SLM and RFG): Changed the series concept from a petrocalcic horizon limiting layer to arenaceous limestone bedrock. Also changed to tabular format, added metric measurements, updated completing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 32 cm (0 to 12.6 in) (Ak and BCk horizons)
Secondary carbonates: 0 to 32 cm 0 to 12.6 in) (Ak and BCk horizons)
Calcic horizon: 15 to 32 cm (6 to 12.6 in) (BCk horizon)
Lithic contact: 32 cm (12.6 in) (top of the R horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: KSSL data available: S2017OK045005 (TL) and S2017OK045002 (Ellis County, Oklahoma), S1998TX295004 (Lipscomb County, Texas)

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.