LOCATION MAMTRACK                NM

Established Series
REV: GWC-DAW
01/2015

MAMTRACK SERIES

The Mamtrack series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in gypsiferous eolian deposits and gypsiferous lacustrine deposits. These nearly level to strongly sloping soils are on relict shore complexes. Slopes range from 0 to 10 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 67 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-gypseous, hypergypsic, thermic Leptic Haplogypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Mamtrack gypsiferous fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

Anyyz--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); white (2.5Y 9.5/1) gypsiferous fine sandy loam, white (2.5Y 8/1), moist; 8 percent clay; moderate thick platy structure; moderately hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; salt, finely disseminated and gypsum, finely disseminated throughout; noneffervescent, 0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 71 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 7.9; electrical conductivity 25.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; abrupt wavy boundary.

Byyz--4 to 13 inches (10 to 32 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gypsiferous clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist; 30 percent clay; 2 percent coarse distinct black (5Y 2.5/1) mottles; strong coarse subangular blocky parts to strong medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few coarse roots throughout; few coarse dendritic tubular pores; gypsum, finely disseminated and salt, finely disseminated and carbonate, finely disseminated and common very fine and medium irregular gypsum crystal clusters throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 52 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.8; electrical conductivity 19.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; clear wavy boundary.

Cyyz--13 to 33 inches (32 to 84 cm); white (10YR 8/1) gypsiferous sandy clay loam, white (10YR 9/1), moist; 26 percent clay; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; gypsum, finely disseminated and salt, finely disseminated and carbonate, finely disseminated throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 74 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.1; electrical conductivity 16.2 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; abrupt wavy boundary.

Cyyzg1--33 to 39 inches (84 to 98 cm); light bluish gray (10B 7/1) gypsiferous sandy clay loam, dark greenish gray (10BG 4/1), moist; 25 percent clay; massive; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; gypsum, finely disseminated and salt, finely disseminated and carbonate, finely disseminated throughout; slightly effervescent, 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 66 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.3; electrical conductivity 9.8 dS/m (mmhos/cm); moderately saline; clear smooth boundary.

Cyyzg2--39 to 60 inches (98 to 152 cm); light bluish gray (10B 7/1) gypsiferous silt loam, bluish gray (10B 5/1), moist; 22 percent clay; massive; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; gypsum, finely disseminated and salt, finely disseminated and carbonate, finely disseminated throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 68 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 7.9; electrical conductivity 12.6 dS/m (mmhos/cm); moderately saline; diffuse smooth boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico. USGS Quad Heart of the Sands; approximately 9.7 miles northwest of the intersection of US Highway 70 and the White Sands National Monument entrance; 24 north and 129 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 35, Township 17 S, Range 6 E. Latitude: 32 degrees 52 minutes 15.2 seconds north, Longitude: 106 degrees 18 minutes 24.00 seconds west, NAD 83; UTM Easting: 377755 meters, UTM Northing: 3637731 meters. UTM zone 13.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Typic aridic soil moisture regime. The moisture control section is usually dry in all parts more than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. at 20 inches.

Mean annual soil temperature: 66 to 72 degrees F.

Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Percent gypsum: 40 to 90 percent

Anyyz horizon
Value: 8 to 9.5 dry, 7 to 8 moist
Texture: gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous fine sandy loam, gypsiferous loam
Clay: 8 to 18 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 90
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Salinity: moderately saline to strongly saline

Byyz horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sandy clay loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous silt loam, gypsiferous clay loam
Clay: 18 to 30 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 90
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Salinity: moderately saline to strongly saline

Cyyz horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 10BG
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 9 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sandy clay loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous silt loam
Clay: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 90
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Salinity: moderately saline to strongly saline

Cyyzg horizons
Hue: N, 5BG, 10BG, 10B, 5PB
Value: 6 to 9 moist
Texture: gypsiferous sandy clay loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous silt loam, gypsiferous clay loam
Clay: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 100
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Salinity: slightly saline to moderately saline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Astrobee (NM), Bracken (NV), Peligro (NM), Shot (NM), Whitebasin (NV), Wulie (NM), and Yesum series. Astrobee soils are formed in nearly level, stabilized parabolic interdunes. Bracken soils have less than 30 percent selenite crystals in the PSCS, are deep to a paralithic contact and are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30). Peligro soils are formed in strongly sloping relict playa dunes. Shot soils have hues of 5YR and 7.5YR and have less than 60 percent gypsum in the PSCS. Shot soils have hues of 5YR and 7.5YR and have less than 60 percent gypsum in the PSCS. Whitebasin soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact and are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30). Wulie soils have less than 35 percent selenite crystals in the PSCS and have a lacustrine horizon at the bottom of the PSCS. Yesum soils have sandy loam and finer textures and are moderately to strongly saline.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mamtrack soils are on relict shore complexes. Slope is 0 to 10 percent. These soils formed from gypsiferous eolian deposits and gypsiferous lacustrine deposits. Elevation ranges from 3,900 to 3,990 ft. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The mean annual air temperature is 64 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lark (NM), Ratscat (NM), Transformer(NM), and Salago (NM) soils. Lark soils are on vegetated dunes. Ratscat soils have salic horizon and are on relict lakes. Transformer soils have a water table between 20 and 40 inches and are on playa steps. Salago soils have a water table between 20 and 40 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are wildlife habitat, recreation and research activities. Native vegetation is iodine bush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to White Sands National Monument and White Sands Missile Range. MLRA 42, Mamtrack is of limited extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, New Mexico, 2012. The name Mamtrack is derived from nearby relict mammoth tracks found along relict shoreline complexes.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:

Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Byyz, Cyyz, Cyyzg1 and Cyyzg2 horizons)

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 4 inches. (Anyyz horizon)

Gyspic horizon - the zone from 4 to 60 inches. (Byyz, Cyyz, Cyyzg1, and Cyyzg2 horizons)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

Revised for the correlation of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; October, 2014, NMS

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.