LOCATION MAJORSPLACE NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Majorsplace very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 40 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones.
A1--0 to 7 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium interstitial and tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; 3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 cm thick)
A2--7 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; common very fine, few fine and medium interstitial and tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
Btk--18 to 33 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, and few fine and medium roots; few very fine, fine, and medium interstitial and tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonate; common (5 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; 35 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 40 cm thick)
Bk--33 to 46 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) extremely cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse interstitial pores; finely disseminated secondary calcium carbonate; common secondary calcium carbonate concretions around rock fragments and many (20 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; 23 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; 35 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 14 cm thick)
R--46 cm; indurated quartzite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 4 miles north of Majors Place, (junction Hwy 93 and Hwy 50) and about 1 mile south of Cooper Canyon, about 400 feet southwest from the end of the jeep trail; USGS Majors Place 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 05 minutes 2.2 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 34 minutes 7.4 seconds W; UTM Zone 11, 710294e, 4328907n, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; Xeric soil moisture regime bordering aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 cm when mixed, to 25 cm.
Argillic horizon thickness - 12 to 40 cm.
Depth to Lithic contact - 36 to 50 cm.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragment content: Averages 50 to 70 percent, mainly cobbles. Litholgy of the fragments is quartzite.
A horizons - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: Neutral to strongly alkaline.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Btk horizons Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly cobbles. Lithology of the fragments is quartzite.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to violently effervescent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Organic matter content: 1 to 2 percent.
Bk horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mainly cobbles.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent, mainly cobbles.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
Other features: This horizon is too thin to meet calcic horizon criteria.
Organic matter content: 0.2 to 0.8 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: Anaud, Bellenmine, Celeridge, Cleavage, Cleavmor, Cropper, Gabica, Gaciba, Genoa, Gerdog, Gidwin, Grandeposit, Granquin, Grosschat, Hawkridge, Hutchley, Loope, Mascamp, Melling, Pernog, Pernty, Raw (no description available), Rozara, Shalcleav, Shalper, Slatter, Tractuff, and Tweener.
Anaud soils have 15 to 30 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 mm to 2.0 mm fraction.
Bellenmine soils do not have secondary calcium carbonate and the Bt horizon is slightly acid or neutral.
Celeridge,
Cleavage,
Cleavmor,
Gabica,
Gaciba,
Genoa,
Gerdog,
Hawkridge,
Hutchley,
Loope,
Mascamp,
Pernog,
Pernty,
Rozara,
Shalcleav,
Shalper,
Slatter, and
Tweener soils are dry in the soil moisture control section from July through October. Additionally Cleavage, Gabica, Gaciba,
Gidwin, Hutchley, Pernog, Pernty, Rozara, Shalcleav, Shalper and Tweener soils lack secondary calcium carbonate.
Cleavmor and Gidwin soils also have mollic epipedons 36 to 50 cm thick.
Cropper and
Grandeposit soils do not have secondary calcium carbonate.
Granquin soils soil have 15 to 30 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2.0 millimeter fraction and have rock fragments with welded tuff lithology.
Grosschat soils are 25 to 36 cm to bedrock.
Melling soils have an argillic horizon extends into the Bt horizon and do not have secondary calcium carbonate.
Tractuff soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Majorsplace soils are on backslopes of mountains.
These soils formed in colluvium over residuum derived from quartzite with admixtures of calcareous loess, dominantly added when the Pleistocene lakes were drying up.
Slopes are 8 to 50 percent.
Elevations are 1,850 to 2,380 meters.
The climate is dry-subhumid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers.
The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 400 mm.
The mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C.
The frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Checkett,
Grube, and
Tractuff series.
Checkett soils are mesic.
Grube soils are very deep and have a mollic epipedon is 25 to 38 cm thick.
Tractuff soils have a mollic epipedon and 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Majorsplace soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly, Indian ricegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, black sagebrush, and a few old Utah juniper and singleleaf pinyon. This site is correlated to Ecological Site R28AY102NV, Shallow Calcareous Hill 10-14" P.Z.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 18 to 33 cm (Btk horizon).
Lithic contact The boundary at 46 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 18 to 33 cm (Btk horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS user Pedon ID: 07NV778079-CWL