LOCATION MAGDALENA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Paleargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Magdalena gravelly loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine platy and weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; 20 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 7 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy clay reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine and very fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 35 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt2--7 to 14 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common thin clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--14 to 23 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; 45 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bt4--23 to 30 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) very gravelly clay, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; continuous thick clay films on faces of peds; 35 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
Bt5--30 to 36 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; continuous thick clay films on faces of peds; 35 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Btk1--36 to 51 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) very gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to common fine and very fine angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; continuous thick clay films on faces of peds; 45 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; lime occurs as soft masses; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Btk2--51 to 62 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) very gravelly clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; lime occurs as soft masses; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
2Bk--62 to 74 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) very gravelly sandy clay loam, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; weak thin platy structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; 50 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; disseminated lime; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Socorro County, New Mexico; about 10 miles southwest of Socorro; l470 feet east and l65 feet north of the southwest corner of section 34, T. 3 S., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic moisture regime
Depth to carbonates: 26 to 5l inches
Clay in control section: 35 to 50 percent
A horizon
Value; 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6
Texture: loam
Coarse fragments: 20 to 30 percent with 5 to l0 percent cobbles and l5 to 20 percent gravel by volume
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry or moist
Chroma: 4 through 6
Texture: sandy clay, clay or clay loam
Coarse fragments: 35 to 60 percent with 5 to l5 percent cobbles and 30 to 45 percent gravel by volume.
Bk horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Coarse fragments: 35 to 60 percent with 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 35 to 55 percent gravel by volume
Calcium carbonate equivalent: greater than l5 percent by weight
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Magdalena soils are on bajadas. Slopes range from 3 to l2 percent. Elevation ranges from 5500 to 6300 feet. The mean annual precipitation is l0 to l3 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 50 to 56 degrees F. The average frost-free period is l45 to l65 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Millett, Puertecito and Sedillo soils. Millett is fine loamy. Puertecito is loamy-skeletal and has a lithic contact within 20 inches. Sedillo is loamy skeletal and has a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; very slowly permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Magdalena soils are used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation includes black grama, blue grama, sideoats grama, threeawns, juniper and broom snakeweed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Magdalena soils are of small extent in central New Mexico. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Socorro County, New Mexico, l984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 62 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5, Btk1, Btk2 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
This soil has been sampled for characterization. Sample Number 77-NM-28-l.