LOCATION MOREYPEAK NV
Established Series
Rev. JBF/WED/RLB
11/2022
MOREYPEAK SERIES
The Moreypeak series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Moreypeak soils are on sideslopes of mountains and hills. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Moreypeak cobbly loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with about 15 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones.
A1--0 to 5 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)
A2--5 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)
Bt1--13 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to medium, common coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds, lining pores and coating rock fragments; 35 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 38 cm thick)
Bt2--28 to 97 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and coating rock fragments; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 90 cm thick)
Cr--97 cm; weathered andesitic tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada, Kawich Range, Stone Cabin Valley, approximately 600 feet north of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 2 N., R. 49 E.; USGS Stinking Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 58 minutes 40 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 31 minutes 58 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 37.9778889 latitude, -116.5086111 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and early spring, dry summer and fall, but moist intermittently, 10 to 20 days, during summer and fall due to convection storms; dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice; xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to soft rock (paralithic contact): 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to hard rock: Greater than 100 cm.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 46 cm.
Particle-size control section - Percent clay: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Loam, sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
Consistence: Soft to hard, very friable or friable.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Clanalpine,
Devaul,
Elaero, Glidski,
Heechee,
Heenlake,
Holmes,
Horrocks,
Hoskin,
Howcan,
Longday,
Pequop,
Suak,
Valmar,
Vitale and
Wambolt series.
Clanalpine and
Heenlake soils have 25 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Devaul, Glidski,
Heechee,
Howcan,
Holmes,
Horrocks,
Longday,
Pequop and
Wambolt soils lack bedrock within 100 cm.
Elaero soils have 12 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Hoskin soils have hue of 7.5YR through 2.5YR in the Bt horizon.
Suak,
Valmar and
Vitale soils have hard rock within 100 cm and in addition Valmar soils have a silt loam Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moreypeak soils are on hills and mountains mainly on sideslopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from rhyolitic and andesitic rocks. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,980 to 2,900 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid, with a mean annual precipitation ranging from 300 to 400 mm; the average annual temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C.; and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Foxmount soils. Foxmount soils are colder in the summer.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland and wildlife. The vegetation is mainly Pinyon pine and Juniper with an understory of mountain big sagebrush, pine bluegrass, currant, bitterbrush and snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Nevada. Moreypeak soils are of small extent. MLRA 29.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from surface to 28 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 13 to 97 cm (Bt horizon).
Paralithic contact - The boundary 97 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 63 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.