LOCATION PIQUIN NMInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Piquin very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ak--0 to 2 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) crushed, moist; 10 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots throughout; 5 percent medium irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 3 percent coarse irregular carbonate nodules in matrix; 40 percent nonflat subrounded 0.1 - to 3-inch mixed igneous gravel; strongly effervescent by HCl, 1 normal; strongly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bk1--2 to 9 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 10 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent coarse irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 5 percent coarse irregular carbonate nodules in matrix; 30 percent nonflat subrounded 0.1- to 3-inch mixed igneous gravel; strongly effervescent by HCl, 1N; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--9 to 19 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 12 percent clay, weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots throughout, few fine dendritic tubular pores; 10 percent coarse irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 5 percent coarse irregular carbonate nodules in matrix; 40 percent nonflat subrounded 0.1- to 3-inch mixed igneous gravel; strongly effervescent by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Bk3--19 to 30 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 10 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic tubular pores; 5 percent medium irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 5 percent coarse irregular carbonate nodules in matrix; 40 percent nonflat subrounded 0.1- to 3-inch mixed igneous gravel; strongly effervescent by HCl 1 normal; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 18 inches)
Bk4--30 to 50 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 12 percent clay, weak granular structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots throughout, few fine dendritic tubular pores; 3 percent fine irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 3 percent medium irregular carbonate nodules in matrix; 25 percent nonflat subrounded 0.1- to 3-inch mixed igneous gravel; strongly effervescent by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 20 inches thick)
C--50 to 80 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) crushed, gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed moist; 2 percent clay; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent nonflat subrounded 0.1- to 3-inch mixed igneous gravel; noneffervescent by HCl 1 normal; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; approximately 3.7 miles W. and 19.3 miles S. of White Sands, 1,480 feet south and 70 feet west of the NE corner of Sec. 33, T. 25 south, R. 4 east. USGS Anthony topographic quadrangle; lat. 32 degrees, 05 minutes, 32 seconds N. long. 106 degrees 31 minutes, 46.95 seconds W. UTM zone 13S, 355646E, 3551494N; NAD 27.
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 67 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 2 to 10 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent
Coarse fragment content: 35 to 45 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent (less than 2-mm fraction)
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture modifier: gravelly or very gravelly
Coarse fragments: 30 to 45 percent mixed igneous gravel
Bk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Texture modifier: gravelly or very gravelly
Coarse fragments: 30 to 45 percent mixed igneous gravel
C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: sand or coarse sand
Coarse fragments: 15 to 30 percent mixed igneous gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Alemeda (NM),
Chamberino (NM),
Corazones (TX),
Dime (CA),
Nickel (NV),
Railroad (NV), and
Stagecoach (AZ) series.
Alemeda soils are moderately deep to basalt bedrock.
Chamberino soils contain 15 to 30 percent calcium carbonates in the particle size control section and 17 to 27 percent clay in the particle size control section.
Corazones, Dime, and Nickel soils have 35 to 80 percent rock fragments in the series control section.
Railroad soils are moderately deep to basalt.
Stagecoach soils have calcic horizons at 10 to 25 inches below the surface,
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Alluvium from mixed igneous sources
Landform: Relict terraces
Slope: 2 to 15 percent
Mean annual temperature: 62 to 66 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 10 inches
Precipitation pattern: precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The driest months are March and April. Precipitation during the months of January, February, and March is less than 13 percent of the total.
Frost-free period: 200 to 240 days
Elevation: 3,900 to 4,200 feet
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Yippin soils.
Yippin soils have less than 35 percent mixed igneous gravel in the series control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazing livestock. Vegetation is of the desert shrub type consisting of creosotebush, mesquite, range ratany, and threeawns.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico; LRR D, MLRA 42; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Bw and Bk horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 2 inches. (Ak horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 2 to 50 inches. (Bk horizon)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.