LOCATION MALJAMAR NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Petroargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Maljamar fine sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 20 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; single grained; loose; many roots; porous; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
A2--20 to 24 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loamy sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; many roots; common fine and medium pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Bt1-- 24 to 36 inches; red (2.5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/8) moist; strong medium prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky; many common roots; common pores; common thin clay films on peds and lining pores; 5 percent small quartzite gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
2Bt2--36 to 44 inches; red (2.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky and moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky; common fine roots; common fine pores; few small iron, manganese concretions; common thin clay films on peds and lining pores; 5 percent small quartzite gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2BC--44 to 50 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky and weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky; few fine pores; 10 percent small quartzite gravel; neutral; abrupt boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
3Bkm--50 to 52 inches; white (5YR 8/1) hard fractured caliche with material like described in the 2BC horizon in the fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Lea County, New Mexico; approximately 0.9 mile south of NW corner section 28, T.17S., R.32E., west of paved road and 0.9 mile south of New Mexico Highway 529.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: Ustic aridic moisture regime
Solum thickness: greater than 34 inches
Rock fragments: less than 10 percent throughout the solum
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline
Effervescence: noncalcareous to slightly calcareous with few fine soft lime masses in the lower part. Some lime segregation usually occurs above 60 inches.
Calcium carbonate: never exceeds 15 percent within 40 inches of the surface.
A horizon
Hue: 5YR through 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6
Texture: loamy fine sand and coarser
2Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 through 8
Texture: sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent clay
Structure: moderate or strong medium or coarse subangular blocky and prismatic. Clay films: common to many thin and moderately thick clay films
2BC horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Texture: sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Depth to the 3Bkm horizon is more than 40 inches and commonly is more than 60 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competitors.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Maljamar soils are on nearly level to undulating sandy plains. Slopes are usually less than 2 percent but some range to 5 percent. The soils formed in moderately sandy to sandy mixed sediments somewhat reworked by wind. The climate is semiarid to arid continental. The annual temperature at the type location is about 65 degrees F. and the annual precipitation is 13 inches. The Thornthwaite P-E Index ranges between 12 and 24.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cacique, Kermit, Midessa and Palomas soils. Cacique soils have petrocalcic horizons at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Kermit soils lack a B2t horizon. Midessa soils have a calcic horizon at depths of 24 to 40 inches. Palomas soils have an A horizon less than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation consists of tall and mid grasses, mainly giant dropseed, bluestem, shinnoak, some yucca and sandsage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern New Mexico and possibly southwestern Texas. MLRA is 42. The series is of large extent in New Mexico.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lea County, New Mexico, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 24 inches (A horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 24 to 44 inches (Bt horizons)
Petrocalcic horizon - The zone from 50 to 52 inches (Bkm horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999
The classification was changed from loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Arenic Haplargids to fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Petroargids in 2003