LOCATION ORDEAL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, thermic Entic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ordeal loamy sand on a southeast facing hill with 40 percent slope under a cover of chamise and annual grasses at an elevation of 1,660 feet (506 meters). When described on 01/19/2005 the soil was moist from 0 to 7 inches (0 to 19 cm). Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.
A1--0 to 6 inches (0 to 15 centimeters); brown (10YR 5/3), loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.
A2--6 to 14 inches (15 to 35 centimeters); brown (10YR 5/3), loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 8 to 14 inches, 21 to 35 centimeters)
C1--14 to 23 inches (35 to 58 centimeters); pale brown (10YR 6/3), gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
C2--23 to 36 inches (58 to 92 centimeters); pale brown (10YR 6/3), extremely gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the C horizons is 6 to 22 inches, 14 to 57 centimeters)
Cr--36 to 40 inches (92 to 102 centimeters); moderately cemented fanglomerate bedrock, fractured at intervals of <4 inches (10 centimeters).
TYPE LOCATION: San Benito County, California; about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northeast of the Chalone Creek Maintenance Station in Pinnacles National Monument; 605 feet east and 708 feet south of the northwest corner of section 36, T 16S, R 7E; USGS North Chalone Peak, California topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees 30 minutes 1.00 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 9 minutes 56.40 seconds west longitude; UTM 664278 meters E, 4041002 meters N, zone 10.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 centimeters).
Mean annual soil temperature: 60 to 63 degrees F (16 to 17 degrees C).
Soil moisture control section: dry in all parts from about May 15 to November 15 (180 days), and moist in all parts from about January 15 to April 15 (90 days).
Particle size control section: 5 percent clay, 48 percent rock fragments.
Base Saturation by ammonium acetate: 85 to 98 %
A horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 dry; 3 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 2 to 20 percent gravel
Reaction: strongly acid or neutral
C horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 dry; 4, 5, 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4 dry; 2, 3, 4, 6 moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Sandy loam, loamy sand, Loamy coarse sand or coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 25 to 70 percent gravel
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baywood, Gorgonio, Kelval, Timor and Tinnin soils. The Baywood, Gorgonio, Kelval and Tinnin are all deeper than 60 inches (150 centimeters) to bedrock. The Timor soil is 40 to 60 inches (100 to 150 centimeters) deep to a duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ordeal soils are on backslopes of hills. Slopes range from 20 to 75 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from fanglomerate derived from granite or sandstone. Elevation ranges from 980 to 2,300 feet (300 to 700 meters). The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 17 to 19 inches (432 to 483 millimeters). The mean annual temperature is about 59 to 63 degrees F (15 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 190 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Longsfolly, Passion and Tuborcio soils. The Longsfolly soils are deep to paralithic bedrock on mostly north-facing backslopes of hills under wedgeleaf ceanothus and chamise. The Passion soils are shallow to paralithic bedrock on shoulders of hills under chamise. The Tuborcio soils have a fine textured argillic horizon and are on backslopes of hills under blue oak savannah.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium or high runoff; rapid permeability. These soils do not flood or pond.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation is Chamise chaparral.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Benito County, California in MLRA 15 Central California Coast Range. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Benito County, California. Source of name is a rock formation in Pinnacles National Monument. This series was established based on limited acreage observed within the National Park Service Pinnacles National Monument boundary.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic Epipedon: the zone from 0 to 14 inches (0 to 35 centimeters) (A1 and A2 horizons)
Paralithic contact: 36 to 40 inches (92 to 102 centimeters) or more (Cr horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for another location:
Pedon Type: taxadjunct to the series Lab Source ID: NSSL
Pedon Purpose: research site Lab Pedon #: 06N0202