LOCATION LUXOR NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Luxor extremely stony sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft very friable; common fine roots; many fine interstitial poles; 25 percent angular rhyolite gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 5 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 25 percent angular rhyolite gravel; weakly calcareous; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 14 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; few thin patchy clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent angular rhyolite gravel; strongly calcareous with lime, mainly disseminated with few visible streaks in lower part; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Cr--14 to 18 inches; white (10YR 8/1) highly weathered rhyolite bedrock and small angular hard rhyolite gravel; slightly hard friable; weakly calcareous in spots; clear irregular boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
R--18 inches; indurated rhyolite bedrock with few fractures. Many feet thick.
TYPE LOCATION: Luna County, New Mexico; SE corner NW 1/4, NW 1/4, Sec. 27, T. 22 S., R. 12 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soils are usually dry in the moisture control section between October and May. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Depth to bedrock ranges from - 10 to 20 inches.
Surface cover of gravel and cobbles ranges from - 15 to 65 percent.
Rock fragments in the solum range from - 15 to 35 percent.
Thin coatings of calcium carbonate are on some rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent - less than 15 percent within 40 inches of the surface.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Structure: weak fine platy in upper 2 inches to weak fine subangular blocky and granular.
B horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5.
Textures: gravelly sandy clay loam and gravelly clay loam to gravelly loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
Structure: weak or moderate subangular blocky.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Luxor soils are on gently undulating to rolling bedrock-controlled landscapes usually with less than 10 percent slopes. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 59 to 71 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 feet. The soils formed in gravelly sandy loam and gravelly clay loam material derived from rhyolite. The soils rarely receive additional water from surrounding areas of higher elevation. The climate is arid to semiarid continental. At the type location the average annual air temperature is 55 to 61 F. and the average annual rainfall is 8 to 10 inches. The frost-free period is about 200 to 250 days per year.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ector, Lehmans, and Lozier, Goth, Mohave, and Stellar soils. Goth, Mohave, and Stellar soils lack bedrock within 40 inches of the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderate to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used only as rangeland. Native vegetation is tobosa, black grama, mesquite, and Mormon tea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern, New Mexico. The series is of small extent. MLRA 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Luna County, New Mexico, 1973.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
A horizon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (A1 and A2 horizons
Argillic horizon - the zone from 5 to 14 inches (Bt horizon)
Paralithic- the zone from 14 to 18 inches (Cr horizon)
Lithic contact - bedrock at 18 inches (R horizon)