LOCATION RATSCAT NM

Established Series
REV: GWC-DAW
01/2016

RATSCAT SERIES

The Ratscat series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in gypsiferous lacustrine deposits. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on relict lakebeds and playas. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 67 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-gypseous, hypergypsic, thermic Typic Haplosalids

TYPICAL PEDON: Ratscat gypsiferous coarse sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

Ayyz--0 to 5 inches (0 to 12 cm); light greenish gray (10Y 8/1) gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, light greenish gray (10Y 7/1), moist; 8 percent clay; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 77 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; electrical conductivity 26.9 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; gradual smooth boundary.

Cnyyz--5 to 24 inches (12 to 60 cm); light greenish gray (10Y 8/1) gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, light greenish gray (10Y 7/1), moist; 10 percent clay; massive; very hard, slightly rigid, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 83 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.8; electrical conductivity 79.8 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; clear smooth boundary.

Cnyyzg1--24 to 35 inches (60 to 87 cm); light greenish gray (5GY 7/1) gypsiferous loamy sand, greenish gray (5GY 6/1), moist; 5 percent clay; massive; very hard, slightly rigid, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 80 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline, pH 7.7; electrical conductivity 111.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline; clear smooth boundary.

Cnyyzg2--35 to 60 inches (87 to 152 cm); light greenish gray (10GY 7/1) gypsiferous sandy loam, greenish gray (10GY 6/1), moist; 14 percent clay; massive; very hard, extremely firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine irregular gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent, 85 percent gypsum; moderately alkaline, pH 7.9; electrical conductivity 116.0 dS/m (mmhos/cm); strongly saline.

TYPE LOCATION: TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico. USGS Quad Heart of the Sands NW; approximately 4.41 miles northeast of the intersection of Range road 7 and 10; 377 south and 2,324 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 28, Township 16 S, Range 5 E. Latitude: 32 degrees 53 minutes 39.00 seconds north, Longitude: 106 degrees 26 minutes 7.90 seconds west, NAD 83; UTM Easting: 365733 meters, UTM Northing: 3642467 meters. UTM zone 13.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Typic aridic soil moisture regime. 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. at 20 inches.

Mean annual soil temperature: 66 to 72 degrees F.

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Percent gypsum: 60 to 90 percent
Electrical conductivity: 30 to 150 dS/m

Ayyz horizons
Hue: Gley 1, 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, 10Y
Value: 2 to 9 dry, 3 to 8 moist
Chroma: N to 3, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous loamy fine sand, gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous loam
Clay: 6 to 15 percent
Gypsum: 60 to 90 percent
Salinity: moderately saline to strongly saline

Cnyyz and Cnyyzg horizons
Hue: Gley 1, 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, 10Y, 5GY, 10GY
Value: 2 to 9 dry, 3 to 8 moist
Chroma: N to 3, dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous sand, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous loamy fine sand, gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous loam, gypsiferous fine sandy loam
Clay: 3 to 20 percent
Gypsum: 40 to 100 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ratscat soils are on relict lakebeds and playas. Slope is 0 to 7 percent. These soils formed from gypsiferous lacustrine deposits. Elevation ranges from 3,870 to 3,990 ft. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. Precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The mean annual air temperature is 64 to 70 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigsalt (NM), Lark (NM), Mamtrack (NM), Transformer (NM), and Salago (NM) soils. Bigsalt soils have a dominantly siliceous mineralogy, Lark soils are on vegetated dunes. Mamtrack soils have gypsic horizon and are on relict shoreline complexes. Transformer soils have a water table between 20 and 40 inches and are on playa steps. Salago soils have a water table between 20 and 40 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: moderately well drained; negligible runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are military exercises, wildlife habitat, recreation and research activities. Native vegetation is iodine bush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central New Mexico, limited to White Sands Missile Range and White Sands National Monument. MLRA 42, Ratscat is of limited extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, New Mexico, 2014. The name Ratscat is named for a nearby complex on the Alkali Flat.

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

Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Cnyyz, Cnyyzg1 and Cnyyzg2 horizons)

Ochric epipedon- the zone from 0 to 5 inches (Ayyz horizon)

Salic horizon- the zone from 5 to 60 inches (Cnyyz, Cnyyzg1, and Cnyyzg2 horizons)

Episaturation- the zone from 0 to 20 inches.

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

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.