LOCATION NOBLE PASS CA
Established Series
Rev: JCR/LJL/ET
12/2015
NOBLE PASS SERIES
The Noble Pass series consists of very shallow to bedrock, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from andesite and rhyolite. Noble Pass soils are on mountains and have slopes of to 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Lithic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Noble Pass extremely gravelly sandy loam on a northeast-facing, smooth, 28 percent slope at an elevation of 3,070 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 90 percent gravel.
A--0 to 1 inch; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 80 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick).
Bk--1 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 85 percent gravel; few thin lime coats on undersides of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick).
R--6 inches; moderately hard fractured rhyolite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 16 miles south of Ludlow, California; approximately 2 miles east and 1 mile south of Noble Pass; 300 feet south and 100 feet east of the northwest corner of section 34, T. 5 N., R. 8 E.; 34 degrees, 28 minutes, 55.4 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 08 minutes, 19.8 seconds west longitude; Deadman Lake NW quadrangle; UTM 11S, 0579079e 3815749n; NAS-C.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 64 to 71 degrees F.
Depth to lithic contact: 3 to 10 inches.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Control section - Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent, mainly gravel with 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.
Clay content: 4 to 12 percent.
A horizon - Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Platy or subangular blocky.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, nonsticky or slightly sticky.
Effervescence: Very slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 1 to 5 percent.
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4.
Bk horizon - Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Subangular blocky or massive.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, nonsticky or slightly sticky.
Effervescence: Very slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 1 to 5 percent.
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4.
Other features: Some pedons have few soft masses of lime.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Akela (NM),
Dalvord (CA),
Haleburu (NV),
Hindu (AZ),
Paintrocks (CA),
Sutra (AZ),
Terlingua (TX) and
Upspring (CA) series. Dalvord soils have granitic parent materials. Haleburu and Upspring soils have 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the control section. Hindu soils have 20 to 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalence and formed from calcareous sedimentary bedrock. Paintrocks soils have granitic parent materials and 1 to 3 inches deep to paralithic contact or bedrock. Sutra soils have 15 to 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalence and formed from limestone bedrock. Terlingua soils have a paralithic contact at 4 to 14 inches which makes it a typic torriorthents and not lithic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Noble Pass soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from andesite and rhyolite. Elevations are 1,900 to 4,600 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 2 to 6 inches; mean annual air temperature is 61 to 68 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 200 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Pacific Mesa (CA),
Haleburu (NV) and
Sunrock (AZ) soils. Pacific Mesa soils have a cambic horizon and are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock. Haleburu soils average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the control section. Sunrock soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 72 to 80 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high runoff; moderately rapid permeability over impermeable bedrock.
USE AND VEGETATION: Noble Pass soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly white bursage, creosotebush and white ratney.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Marine Corps Air/Ground Combat Center Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is from Noble Pass located in the Bullion Mountains.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 6 inches (A and Bk horizons).
2. Lithic contact -- 6 inches (R horizon).
3. Particle-size control section -- 0 to 6 inches (A and Bk horizons).
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 7/2000. ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.