LOCATION PELIGRO                 NM+TX

Established Series
Rev. GC/WWJ
01/2016

PELIGRO SERIES

The Peligro series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in eolian gypsiferous sediments. These nearly level to strongly sloping soils are on lunettes or parna dunes on basin floors and relict stabalized gypsum dunes. Slope ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 64 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-gypseous, hypergypsic, thermic Leptic Haplogypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Peligro fine sandy loam -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ay--0 to 1 inch (0 to 3 cm); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), moist; 14 percent clay; weak thick platy over weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine irregular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and gypsum, finely disseminated throughout; strongly effervescent, 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 8 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.7; electrical conductivity 2.3 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; very abrupt wavy boundary.

Byy--1 to 9 inches (3 to 23 cm); pale orange yellow (10YR 9.5/2) gypsiferous coarse sand, pale orange yellow (10YR 9/2), moist; 2 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine irregular pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many very fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; slightly effervescent, 3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 84 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6; electrical conductivity 2.3 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; gradual wavy boundary.

Cyy1--9 to 24.5 inches (23 to 62 cm); white (10YR 9/1) gypsiferous coarse sand, white (10YR 8.5/1), moist; 2 percent clay; moderate extremely coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; many fine interstitial pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many very fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; slightly effervescent, 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 78 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 2.9 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; diffuse wavy boundary.

Cyy2--24.5 to 36 inches (62 to 91 cm); pale orange yellow (10YR 9/2) gypsiferous coarse sand, very pale brown (10YR 8.5/2), moist; 2 percent clay; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and medium roots throughout; many fine interstitial pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many very fine and fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; slightly effervescent, 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 76 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 2.6 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline; clear wavy boundary.

Cyy3--36 to 62 inches (91 to 158 cm); white (10YR 9/1) gypsiferous coarse sand, white (10YR 8.5/1), moist; 2 percent clay; massive; hard, very firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; carbonate, finely disseminated and many very fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; strongly effervescent, 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and 46 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.8; electrical conductivity 2.7 dS/m (mmhos/cm); very slightly saline.

TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico. Approximately 8.4 miles East and 9.3 miles North of White Sands Missile Range Headquarters.; 1,922 ft North and 1,258 ft South of the Northwest corner of Section 4, Township 21 South, Range 6 East; USGS topographic quadrangle Lake Lucero SE, NAD83; 32 degrees 30 minutes 50.31 seconds North latitude and 106 degrees 20 minutes 9.97 seconds West longitude; UTM 374,502 meters East, 3598,195 meters North, zone 13.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: 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. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.

Mean annual soil temperature: 63 to 72 degrees F.

Depth to gypsic horizon: 0 to 3 inches

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Coarse fragment content: none

Ay and Ayy horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 9.5 dry, 3 to 9 moist
Chroma: 2 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam, gypsiferous sandy loam

Byy horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 7 or 9.5 dry, 6 to 9 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous coarse sand, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous loamy fine sand, gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous fine sandy loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous loamy coarse sand
Coarse fragments: none
Gypsum content: 40 to 100 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent (less than 2 mm fraction)

Cyy horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 7 or 9.5 dry, 6 to 9 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous fine sandy loam, gypsiferous coarse sand, gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous loamy coarse sand, gypsiferous loamy fine sand
Coarse fragments: none
Gypsum content: 45 to 95 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent (less than 2 mm fraction)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Astrobee (NM), Bracken (NV), Mamtrack (NM), Shot (NM), Whitebasin (NV), Wulie (NM), and Yesum series. Astrobee soils are formed in nearly level, stabilized parabolic interdunes. Bracken soils have less than 30 percent selenite crystals in the PSCS, are deep to a paralithic contact and are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30). Mamtrack soils have gleyed hues within the PSCS and are found on relict shorelines. Shot soils have hues of 5YR and 7.5YR and have less than 60 percent gypsum in the PSCS. Whitebasin soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact and are in the Mohave Desert (MLRA 30). Wulie soils have less than 35 percent selenite crystals in the PSCS and have a lacustrine horizon at the bottom of the PSCS. Yesum soils have sandy loam and finer textures and are moderately to strongly saline.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Peligro soils are on relict stabilized gypsum dunes, lunettes, and parna dunes on basin floors. They formed in eolian gypsiferous sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. Elevation ranges from 3,000 to 4,080 feet. The mean annual air temperature is 62 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 250 days. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches. Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The driest months are March and April.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Basso, Copia, Jato, Loki, Talos and the competing Hermes soils. Basso soils have argillic and calcic horizons. Copia soils are sandy and are on coppice dunes. Jato soils have mixed mineralogy. Loki soils have calcic horizons. Talos soils are fine textured and have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is very low to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for military exercises and weapons testing. Vegetation is hairy crinklemat, gyp dropseed, 4 wing salt bush, Torreys joint fir, gyp scorpion weed, gyp moon pod, crucifixion thorn, prickly pear, and pepper weed.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Trans-Pecos of Texas and southern New Mexico; LRR D, MLRA 42; small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hudspeth County, Texas; Soil Survey of Hudspeth County, Texas (Main Part), 2012.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Cyy1, Cyy2, Cyy3 and Cyy4 horizons)

Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 2 inches. (Ayy horizon)

Gypsic horizon: The zone from 2 to 73 inches. (Byy, and Cyy horizons)

Peligro: Spanish for danger. Named for the cluster bombs found while transecting this unit.

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

Revised for the correlation of Hudspeth County, Texas (Main Part) and Culberson County, Texas (Main Part); July, 2012, NMS

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.