LOCATION RAUSTER NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, frigid Vertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Rauster clay loam--in a ponderosa pine forestland on a convex-linear, north-northeast facing, 20 percent slope at an elevation of 7,650 (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 1 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; 2 percent sandstone, limestone, and siliceous pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--1 to 5 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; strong very fine and fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; few small pressure faces; few vertical cracks 0.25 inches wide; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)
Bssk--5 to 28 inches; weak red (10R 4/2) clay, dusky red (10R 3/2) moist; wedge shaped aggregates; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine irregular pores; many intersecting slickensides; few vertical cracks 0.5 inches wide extending to 27 inches depth; few very fine masses of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 47 inches thick)
Bk--28 to 55 inches; weak red (10R 4/2) clay, weak red (10R 4/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; few pressure faces; few very fine and fine masses of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 27 inches thick)
Cr--55 inches; purple and red shale - Chinle formation
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; about 3.8 miles south southwest of Page, New Mexico; Page Quadrangle; 108 degrees 29 minutes 50 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 16 minutes 13 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually moist, in some part, for more than 90 cumulative days from May through October. It is usually dry, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 42 to 47 degrees F
Particle size control section: 40 to 50 percent clay
Depth to a paralithic contact: 40 to 60 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 5 to 35 inches
Depth to vertic properties: 2 to 50 inches
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 15 to 35 inches
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent sandstone, limestone, and siliceous pebbles
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
A horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry and moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry and moist
Textures: loam or clay loam
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry and moist
Texture: clay loam or clay
Bssk horizon
Hue: 10R to 5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry and moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Bk horizon
Hue: 10R to 2.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry and moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Some pedons have O horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Montillo (NM) series. Montillo soils are moderately deep to basalt.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Rauster soils formed in slope alluvium over residuum derived from sandstone and shale and are on sideslopes and footslopes of hills and ridges and escarpments of cuestas. Slopes are 5 to 35 percent. Elevations range from 7,100 to 8,000 feet. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. The frost free period is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Losegate, Morclay, Osoridge and Woodtex soils. The Losegate soils are moderately deep and are on mesas and cuestas. The very deep Morclay soils are on valley floors and sides. The Osoridge soils are clayey, shallow, and are on mesas and cuestas. The Woodtex soils are loamy, shallow, and on summits and sideslopes of ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high runoff, and very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is a ponderosa pine forestland with an understory of Gambel oak, Rocky mountain juniper, prairie junegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central, New Mexico; MLRA 35, LRR-D. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McKinley County Area, New Mexico; McKinley County and Parts of Cibola and San Juan Counties, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 28 inches. (A, Bt, and Bssk horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 1 to 5 inches. (Bt horizon)
Vertic properties: Presence of slight gilgai, pressure faces, intersecting slickensides, and cracks wider than 0.5 cm through a vertical distance of 23 inches or more.
Paralithic contact: Purple/red shale at 55 inches (Cr horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.