LOCATION MUSSENTUCHIT UT
Established Series
Rev. DTH/RLT/CSW/JWB
03/2011
MUSSENTUCHIT SERIES
The Mussentuchit series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils formed in eolian deposits and/or slope alluvium over residuum derived mainly from gypsiferous sandstone and shale. Mussentuchit soils are on cuestas, hills and structural benches and have slopes of 3 to 35 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 7 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-gypseous, hypergypsic, mesic Leptic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Mussentuchit gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.) The surface is covered by about 20 percent angular chert gravel.
A--0 to 2 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) interior, gravelly loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) interior, moist; moderate medium platy structure; friable, soft, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common medium, fine and very fine roots; few fine interstitial and medium vesicular and tubular pores; 3 percent gypsum; 23 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (21 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
By--2 to 13 inches; 60 percent reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) interior and 40 percent pinkish white (5YR 8/2) interior, coarse gypsum material, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) rubbed, moist; massive; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; common medium, fine and very fine roots; few medium and common fine tubular pores; common medium irregular gypsum crystals (55 percent gypsum); 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt irregular boundary. (6 to 32 inches thick)
Cy1--13 to 23 inches; 70 percent pink (5YR 8/4) interior and 30 percent pinkish white (5YR 8/2) interior, fine gypsum material, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) rubbed, moist; massive; very firm, very hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; common coarse interstitial pores; many coarse irregular gypsum crystals (48 percent gypsum); 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt irregular boundary.
Cy2--23 to 38 inches; 70 percent reddish brown (5YR 5/4) interior and 30 percent pinkish white (5YR 8/2) interior, gravelly fine gypsum material, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) rubbed, moist; massive; firm, hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; common coarse interstitial pores; many very coarse irregular gypsum crystals (47 percent gypsum); 25 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 22 inches thick)
Cr--38 to 48 inches; 70 percent reddish brown (5YR 5/4) interior and 30 percent pinkish white (5YR 8/2) interior, moderately cemented calcareous shale bedrock, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) rubbed, moist; slightly effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Emery County, Utah, about 6 miles southeast of Moore; about 1,600 feet west and 1,800 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 5, T. 22 S., R. 8 E.; Short Canyon USGS quad; Lat. 38 degrees 55 minutes 45 seconds N., Long. 111 degrees 02 minutes 36 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The moisture control section is usually dry, but intermittently moist during late summer and early fall. Aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 56 degrees F.
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches, bedrock is soft gypsiferous shale or sandstone.
Depth to gypsic horizon: 2 to 7 inches.
Particle-size control section (weighted average:
Clay content: 6 to 18 percent.
Sand content: fine sand and coarser: 50 to 60 percent.
Rock fragment content: 0 to 35 percent, mainly gravel with up to 15 percent cobbles of gypsiferous sandstone.
Gypsum content: less than 20 mm fraction: 40 to 80 percent.
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, gravelly loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent gravel and channers; few cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent (no visible secondary carbonates present)
Gypsum: 1 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
SAR: 0 to 3
Reaction: 7.4 to 8.4
Bw horizon (when present):
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent (no visible secondary carbonates present)
Gypsum: 1 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
SAR: 0 to 1
Reaction: 7.4 to 8.4
By, BCy present in some pedons, and Cy horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: coarse gypsum material, fine gypsum material, gravelly fine gypsum material, channery loam, fine sandy loam, channery sandy loam, loamy fine sand, parachannery fine sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent total; 0 to 35 percent gravel and channers; 0 to 3 percent cobbles
Gypsum: 30 to 80 percent, occurring as fine to large crystals
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent (no visible secondary carbonates present)
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
SAR: 0 to 5
Reaction: 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Mccullan (AZ),
Netoma (NM) and
Rayohill (NM) series. Netoma and McCullan soils are deeper than 40 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Rayohill soils have 1 to 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and have electrical conductivity of greater than 4 mmhos/cm.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mussentuchit soils occur on hills, cuestas and structural benches at elevations of 4,300 to 7,200 feet. Slopes are 3 to 35 percent. Mussentuchit soils formed in eolian deposits and/or slope alluvium over residuum weathered from gypsiferous sandstone and shale. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 5 to 12 inches. Wettest months are July to October and driest months are December and June. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 54 degrees F.; and the freeze-free period is 120 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Goblin and
Swell soils. Goblin soils are less than 20 inches deep to weathered sandstone or shale. Swell soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to high runoff, and moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The potential vegetation is galleta, Indian ricegrass, Mormon-tea, and shadscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah. This series is not extensive. LRR D, MLRA 34B, 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Capital Reef National Park, 2008. The name is from Mussentuchit Flat in an area where this soil is mapped.
REMARKS: Laboratory sample number 84UT-015-007
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: 0 to 48 inches (0 to 122 cm)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to 2 inches (A horizon).
Gypsic horizon: The zone from 2 to 38 inches (By, Cy1, Cy2 horizons).
OSED scanned by SSQA. .
In October 2000, the taxonomic classification was converted to the closest match found in Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition 1999. No update was made to horizon nomenclature, competing series section, etc. Other placements may be more appropriate after a complete update.
In August 2007 classification was changed to Leptic Haplogypsids from Typic Calcigypsids with Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition 2006. Horizon nomenclature and competing section was updated.
Lab data for the particle size class is fine-gypseous (48 percent for the fine sand and coarser fraction).
Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Key to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.