LOCATION QUARTZHILL CA

Established Series
Rev. EWB-JBF-TM
06/2017

QUARTZHILL SERIES

The Quartzhill series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from metamorphic rocks such as quartzite, with additions of eolian volcanic ash. Quartzhill soils are on mountains and hills. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal over loamy-skeletal, glassy over mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Vitrandic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Quartzhill extremely gravelly ashy fine sandy loam--Rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 60 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones.

A--0 to 8 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent nonflat angular quartzite cobbles and 65 percent nonflat angular quartzite gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt--8 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and many very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 5 percent faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent nonflat angular quartzite cobbles and 60 percent nonflat angular quartzite gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 28 cm thick)

2Bt--20 to 46 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 5 percent faint clay films on all faces of peds and on surfaces along pores and 25 percent faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent nonflat angular quartzite cobbles and 70 percent nonflat angular quartzite gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

2Cr--46 to 53 cm; weathered quartzite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; in the Bodie Hills about 0.3 mile south of Mormon Meadow; in an unsurveyed area, T. 4 N., R. 26 E.; Big Alkali USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 09 minutes 24.4 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 07 minutes 59.8 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.1567778 latitude, -119.1332778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section; moist fall, winter and spring; usually dry July through early October; xeric moisture regime, bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 36 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 18 to 50 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered quartzitic rock. Hard bedrock is typically within 76 to 100 cm of the soil surface.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 85 percent, mainly angular gravel. Lithology of rock fragments is metamorphic rock such as quartzite.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 75 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly ashy loam or extremely gravelly ashy fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 75 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

2Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly loam.
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series identified in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Quartzhill soils are on mountains and hills. They typically occur on backslope or shoulder positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from metamorphic rocks such as quartzite, with additions of eolian volcanic ash. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 2,045 to 2,625 meters. The climate is semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 360 to 410 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hardteph and Tephzite series. Hardteph soils have a lithic contact within 36 cm, and have an aridic soil moisture regime. Tephzite soils have a lithic contact within 150 to 200 cm and have a mollic epipedon more than 61 cm thick.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Quartzhill soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, western needlegrass, Thurber needlegrass, Indian ricegrass and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, east of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Coleville-Bridgeport Area), California, 2010.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 46 cm (Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - High volcanic glass content in the .02 to 2mm fraction from the mineral soil surface to 20 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 46 cm to underlying soft bedrock (2Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 46 cm (Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.