LOCATION ROCKABIN NV
Established Series
Rev: CMH/EWB/WED/JBF
06/2017
ROCKABIN SERIES
The Rockabin series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rock. Rockabin soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Xeric Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Rockabin very gravelly coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 5 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles and 30 percent gravel.
A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)
A2--5 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
C1--20 to 43 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 38 cm thick)
C2--43 to 53 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 40 cm thick)
Cr--53 cm; fractured altered granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Mineral County, Nevada, in the Wassuk range, approximately 2,400 feet north and 1,900 feet east of the southwest corner of section 22, T. 11 N., R. 28 E.; latitude 38 degrees 47 minutes 58 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 50 minutes 44 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.7995556 latitude, -118.8455556 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring and early summer, dry summer and fall but moist intermittently due to convection storms. Dry in all parts for at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C.
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 20 to 36 cm.
Depth to weathered bedrock: 50 to 100 cm.
Particle-size control section - Percent clay: l0 to l8 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 35 to 60 percent gravel more than 50 percent 2 to 5 mm in size. Individual horizons may have up to 70 percent gravel.
Sand fraction: Dominated by coarse sand.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly acid to neutral.
C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Basinpeak,
Berrycreek,
Decram,
Fairydell,
Foxmount,
Gaia,
Klug,
Krackle,
Lag,
Middlehill,
Steepshrub,
Sup,
Timmercrek,
Wareagle and Yellowgrove series.
Basinpeak,
Berrycreek,
Fairydell,
Gaia,
Klug,
Krackle,
Lag,
Steepshrub,
Sup,
Timmercrek,
Wareagle and Yellowgrove soils have bedrock at depths greater than 100 cm.
Decram, Krackle and
Middlehill soils have lithic contact between 40 and 100 cm.
Foxmount soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 4 to 6 degrees C.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rockabin soils are on mountain side slopes and shoulders. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from granitic rock. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 2,440 to 3,200 meters. The climate is cool, continental with warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is about 300 to 360 mm, average annual air temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Hiridge and
Snopoc series. Hiridge soils have an argillic horizon. Snopoc soils are more than 100 cm deep to bedrock and have a mollic epipedon over 40 cm thick.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, prairie Junegrass, phlox, Indian ricegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and some desert bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County Area Nevada, l983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to about 20 cm (A1, A2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at about 53 cm (Cr layer)
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 25 to 53 cm. (Part of the C1 and C2 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: User Pedon ID: 2007NV021117.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.