LOCATION REDCONE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, amorphic Typic Duricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Redcone very gravelly ashy sandy loam, on a 60 percent slope, forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. Described by A. Moore, 9/14/99.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needle litter; 15 percent cinder gravel, 5 percent cinder cobbles, and 3 percent cinder stones; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A--1 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) dry; weak very fine granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium and common very fine and coarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; 30 percent cinder gravel and 5 percent andesite gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 24 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very gravelly ashy coarse sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse and few very coarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; 30 percent cinder gravel and 5 percent andesite gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 25 inches thick)
Bw2--24 to 27 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very gravelly ashy loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; 55 percent cinder gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 18 inches thick)
2Bqsm--27 to 38 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) weakly cemented gravelly ashy loamy sand, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) dry; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium interstitial pores; 20 percent cinder gravel, black (7.5YR 2/1); moderately acid (pH 6.0) clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
2BC--38 to 61 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8), dark red (2.5YR 3/6) and dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) extremely gravelly ashy loamy sand; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and non plastic; few fine and medium interstitial pores; 80 percent cinder gravel, black (7.5YR 2/1); slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Klamath County, Oregon, Crater Lake National Park; about 1.5 miles west and 500 feet north of Red Cone Springs Trailhead. UTM Zone 10, 568265 easting, 4761525 northing, NAD 83 (GPS).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature ranges from 39 to 41 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 30 to 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to the duripan is 20 to 40 inches. Andic soil properties are present throughout a thickness of 30 to 50 inches and have 50 to 80 percent volcanic glass in the sand and coarse silt size fractions, 1.0 to 2.5 acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron, 50 to 85 percent phosphate retention, and 3 to 12 percent 15-bar air-dry moisture content and 4 to 13 percent moist 15 bar water content. The weighted average 8xSi+2xFe is 5 to 8. The particle size control section has 35 to 60 percent rock fragments, dominantly cinders.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It contains 0 to 10 percent andesite gravel, 10 to 30 percent cinder gravel, and 0 to 5 percent cinder cobbles.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR. The upper part is ashy sandy loam or ashy loamy sand and the lower part is ashy loamy sand or ashy sand. It contains 0 to 5 percent andesite gravel, 25 to 55 percent cinder gravel, and 0 to 5 percent cinder cobbles.
The 2Bqsm horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR, value of 2.5 through 5 moist and dry, and chroma of 0, 1, 4, 6, or 8 moist and dry. It is ashy loamy sand or ashy sand and is weakly to moderately cemented. It contains 15 to 35 percent cinder gravel.
The 2BC horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR, value of 2.5 through 5 moist and dry, and chroma of 0, 1, 4, 6, or 8 moist and dry. It is ashy loamy sand or ashy sand and it contains 65 to 90 percent cinder gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Redcone soils are on cinder cones at elevations of 5,500 to 7,500 feet. Slopes range from 30 to 60 percent. The soils formed in colluvium derived from volcanic ash and cinders from Mt. Mazama. The climate is characterized by cold wet winters and cool moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 50 to 70 inches, falling mostly as snow. The mean annual temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F and the frost-free period is 0 to 50 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Castlecrest, Llaorock, Timbercrater, and Unionpeak series. Castlecrest and Unionpeak are ashy and are found on the surrounding ash flows. Llaorock formed in volcanic ash and andesite, lacks a cemented layer and is medial-skeletal. Timbercrater is ashy-pumiceous.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; runoff is high. Permeability is rapid to the cemented horizon and moderate through the cemented horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland, wildlife habitat, and recreation purposes. Vegetation is mountain hemlock, Shasta red fir, and lodgepole pine with a sparse understory of herbs and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The High Cascade Mountains in south central Oregon; MLRA 3. This series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Andic soil properties - from 1 to 38 inches
Cambic horizon - from 7 to 24 inches (Bw1 horizon)
Duri (greatgroup) - soil is weakly cemented from 27 to 38 inches (2Bqsm horizon)
Ochric epipedon
All depths to diagnostic horizons and features found in the range of characteristics are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.