LOCATION NASA NM
Established Series
REV: GWC
01/2016
NASA SERIES
The Nasa series consists of moderately deep to petrogypsic, well drained soils that formed in coarse-loamy gypsiferous eolian deposits. These gently sloping soils are on fan piedmonts, playa steps, and relict lakebeds. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-gypseous, hypergypsic, thermic Typic Petrogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Nasa sandy loam rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Ay--0 to 4.5 inches (0 to 12 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; 12 percent clay; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; few fine and medium dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and common fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; strongly effervescent, 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 10 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.8; electrical conductivity 3.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; abrupt wavy boundary.
Byyz1--4.5 to 15 inches (12 to 38 cm); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gypsiferous fine sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4), moist; 10 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; strongly effervescent, 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 85 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.3; electrical conductivity 11.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); moderately saline; clear wavy boundary.
Byyz2--15 to 27 inches (38 to 69 cm); white (7.5YR 8/1) gypsiferous sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4), moist; 14 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; few very fine dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; strongly effervescent, 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 66 percent gypsum; strongly alkaline, pH 8.6; electrical conductivity 16.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; abrupt wavy boundary.
Byyzm--27 to 31.5 inches (69 to 80 cm); white (7.5YR 8/1), pink (7.5YR 7/4), moist; massive; carbonate, finely disseminated and many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 76 percent gypsum; strongly alkaline, pH 8.7; electrical conductivity 13.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); moderately saline; clear wavy boundary.
Cyyz--31.5 to 40 inches (80 to 102 cm); white (7.5YR 8/1) gypsiferous sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 7/3), moist; 16 percent clay; massive; very hard, extremely firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine dendritic tubular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 72 percent gypsum; strongly alkaline, pH 8.7; electrical conductivity 16.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; clear wavy boundary.
2Byyzb1--40 to 54.5 inches (102 to 138 cm); 40 percent white (7.5YR 8/1) and 60 percent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, 40 percent pink (5YR 8/3) and 60 percent red (2.5YR 4/6), moist; 13 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; carbonate, finely disseminated and many medium irregular gypsum masses throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 41 percent gypsum; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5; electrical conductivity 15.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); moderately saline; gradual wavy boundary.
2Byyzb2--54.5 to 60 inches (138 to 152 cm); light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) gypsiferous loamy coarse sand, red (2.5YR 5/6), moist; 3 percent clay; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; carbonate, finely disseminated and common medium irregular gypsum masses throughout; slightly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 44 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2; electrical conductivity 13.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); moderately saline.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; about 8.1 miles north and 0.8 miles west of Holloman Air Force Base main gate; located about 750 feet north and 10 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 2, T. 16S, R. 8E; USGS quad Malone Draw; Latitude: 32 degrees, 56 minutes, 54.2 seconds N; Longitude: 106 degrees, 5 minutes, 0.2 seconds W, NAD 83; UTM 0398732 E, 3646086 N, 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 in the control section: 8 to 18 percent
Depth to gypsic horizon: 1 to 8 inches
Depth to petrogypsic horizon: 20 to 40 inches
Percent gypsum: 60 to 90 percent
Electrical conductivity: 4 to 16 mmhos/cm
Ay and Ayy horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 6 dry, 4 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, gypsiferous sandy loam, fine sandy loam, gypsiferous fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam
Clay: 8 to 18 percent
Gypsum: 5 to 100 percent
Salinity: very slightly saline to slightly saline
Byyz and Byy horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 7 to 9.5 dry, 6 to 9 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous fine sandy loam, gypsiferous loam
Clay: 8 to 18 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 100 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
Salinity: slightly saline to strongly saline
Sodium adsorption ratio: < 13
Cyyz horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 7 to 9.5 dry, 6 to 9 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, gypsiferous sandy loam
Clay: 8 to 18 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 100 percent
Reaction: strongly alkaline
Salinity: moderately saline to strongly saline
Sodium adsorption ratio: < 13
2Byyzb horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 8 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous loamy coarse sand, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous fine sandy loam
Clay: 1 to 18 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 70 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
Salinity: moderately saline to strongly saline
Sodium adsorption ratio: < 13
Byyzm horizon
Cemented: gypsum
Hardness: very strongly to indurated
Thickness: 3 to 10 inches, discontinuous
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Hermes series. Hermes soils have less than 8 percent clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nasa soil are on fan piedmonts, playa steps, and relict lakebeds. Slope is 0 to 6 percent. These soils formed from coarse-loamy gypsiferous eolian deposits. Elevation ranges from 3,960 to 4,820 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
Bomber,
Corvus,
Matador,
Tornado and
Yesum soils. Bomber soils do not have a petrogypsic horizon and are in drainages. Corvus soils have petrogypsic horizons between 5 and 20 inches and are on relict dunes and fan piedmonts. Matador soils have salic horizons and are in drainages. Tornado soils are greater than 40 percent clay in the particle size control section, have mixed mineralogy and are in drainages. Yesum soils have gypsic horizons within 7 inches from the surface (Leptic) and are on fan piedmonts.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderate to rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are military exercises and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bush muhly, black grama, creosotebush, plains bristlegrass, and mariola.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to the Tularosa Basin and surrounding piedmonts. MLRA 42-2. Limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands Missle Range, New Mexico, 2014.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 27 inches (Byyz horizons)
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 4.5 inches (Ay horizon)
Gypsic horizon - the zone from 4.5 to 27 inches (Byyz horizons)
Petrogypsic horizon - the zone from 27 to 32 inches (Byyzm horizon)
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
Revised for the correlation of White Sands National Monument, New Mexico; April, 2015, NMS
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.