LOCATION MARJANE AZ+NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Marjane fine sandy loam -- on an undulating plateau sloping 4 percent to the west at 5,890 feet elevation -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was moist from 2 to 26 inches and otherwise dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate very coarse platy structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 or 3 inches thick)
BA--2 to 11 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt--11 to 18 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 22 inches thick)
Btk--18 to 28 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated in few fine irregularly shaped soft masses and as accumulations on ped faces; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 17 inches thick)
2R--28 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Apache County, Arizona; on the Navajo Indian Reservation about 5 miles southeast of Red Mesa Trading Post; 1,450 feet north and 2,450 feet east of the southwest corner of section 10, T.40 N., R.28 E.; Latitude 36 degrees 53 minutes 10 seconds North and Longitude 109 degrees 19 minutes 41 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from April 15 to July 1. It is intermittently moist in some part from July through October and December to April 15. Is dry in all parts between 50 and 75 percent of the time (cumulative) that the soil temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees F. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature - 52 to 54 degrees F.
Reaction - slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 20 to 40 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate - 18 to 28 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
A horizon
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Organic carbon: 0.4 to 0.6 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
BA horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Organic carbon: 0.2 to 0.4 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam
Bt and Btk horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Organic carbon: 0.2 to 0.4 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Khapo (NM), Palma (NM), Vonid (CO) and Windwhistle (UT) series. Khapo and Palma soils are very deep. Vonid soils are in LRR-G MLRA 69 and are more moist in May and June. Windwhistle soils have a calcic horizon closer to the surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Marjane soils are on footslopes of undulating plateaus. They formed in eolian and residuum derived from sandstone. Slopes range from 2 to 5 percent. Elevation ranges from 5,600 to 6,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches with about half falling as winter snow and half falling as rain from high intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arches, Kitsili, and Mido soils. Arches soils are shallow to sandstone bedrock and occur on structural benches. Kitsili soils are very deep, have cambic horizons, and occur on summits of undulating plateaus. Mido soils are very deep, sandy, and occur on stable dunes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Marjane soils are used for livestock grazing. Present vegetation is Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, blue grama, galleta, broom snakeweed, Greene rabbitbrush and Cutler Mormon-tea, with scattered Utah juniper and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Marjane soils are of small extent on the Blanding Basin portion of the Colorado Plateau province in northeast Arizona. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shiprock Area, Parts of San Juan County, New Mexico and Apache County, Arizona; 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 11 inches (A, BA horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 11 to 28 inches (Bt, Btk horizons)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 28 inches (2R horizon)
Keys to Soil Taxonomy - Soils classified according to the Eighth Edition, 1998.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Calcium carbonate equivalent determined with a field volume calcimeter. The type location has been sampled for determination of particle-size and analyzed at the BIA soils lab in Gallup, New Mexico.