LOCATION RANA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, calcareous, mesic Ustertic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Rana very cobbly clay--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) very cobbly clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; vertical cracks 1 inch wide; 30 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
C1--3 to 20 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and common fine and medium roots; few very fine irregular and fine tubular pores; few small slickensides; vertical cracks 0.5 inch wide; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (17 to 25 inches thick)
C2--20 to 34 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C3--34 to 52 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate disseminated; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C4--52 to 60 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine irregular pores; 1 percent pebble-size shale fragments; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate disseminated strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Cibola County, New Mexico; about 8 miles southwest of the Harrington Ranch Headquarters; 1,600 feet east and 990 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 3, T. 6 N. R. 5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts more than 50 percent but less than 75 percent of the time that the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or higher. It is moist intermittently in some part during December and January and July through October. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature - 51 to 55 degrees F.
Vertical cracks - Cracks 0.5 to 1.5 inches wide extend from the surface to a depth of 20 to 29 inches. The cracks are open less than 240 days.
A horizon - Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 or 6
Rock fragments (by volume): 30 to 40 percent cobbles and 5 to 15 percent pebbles.
C horizon - Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6
Clay content: 65 to 85 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Hutt (WY) series. Hutt soils have 10YR hues and yellower and have segregated calcium carbonate and gypsum in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rana soils formed in alluvium and colluvium derived from shale. They are on basalt mesa breaks underlain by shale. Slopes are 2 to 40 percent. Elevations range from 5,800 to 7,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 49 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berto, Flaco, Harvey, Navajo, Silva and Suwanee soils. Berto, Flaco and Silva soils have argillic horizons. Harvey and Suwanee soils have less than 35 percent clay and Navajo soils have irregular decreases in organic carbon and are on flood plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Present native vegetation is alkali sacaton, galleta, vine-mesquite and fourwing saltbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The series is of small extent in west central New Mexico. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cibola County, New Mexico, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to a depth of about 3 inches. (A horizon)
Cracking characteristics: The zone from the surface to a depth of 20 inches. (A, C1 horizons)
Entisol feature: Lack of diagnostic horizons to a depth of 60 inches. (A, C1, C2, C3 horizons)