LOCATION SHARVANA NM+TX
Established Series
Rev. TCB-SCH-RM
09/2016
SHARVANA SERIES
The Sharvana series consists of soils that are very shallow and shallow, well drained, and moderately permeable above a slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon. These soils formed in calcareous, loamy eolian deposits from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age. Sharvana soils are on nearly level to gently sloping plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 483 mm (19 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about 16 degrees C (61 degrees F)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Petrocalcic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sharvana fine sandy loam, on southeast-facing, nearly level plain, 0.5 percent slope in pasture at an elevation of about 1,265 m (4,150 ft.) (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 16 cm (0 to 6 in); brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; loose, very friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Thickness is 10 to 20 cm [4 to 8 in].)
Bt1--16 to 31 cm (6 to 12 in); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine roots throughout; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--31 to 41 cm (12 to 16 in); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine roots throughout; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 10 to 30 cm [4 to 12 in].)
Bkkm--41 to 92 cm (16 to 36 in); pink (7.5YR 8/3) indurated platy caliche; laminar in the upper 5 cm (2 in); under sides of plates have small pendants of calcium carbonate up to 1 cm in length; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness is 20 to 102 cm [8 to 40 in].)
Bkk1--92 to 125 cm (36 to 49 in); pink (7.5YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; about 62 percent by volume gravel size calcium carbonate nodules that are strongly cemented; about 75 percent calcium carbonate by total volume as masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline. (Thickness is 20 to 102 cm [8 to 40 in].)
Bkk2--125 to 203 cm (49 to 80 in); white (7.5YR 8/1) extremely gravelly sandy loam, white (7.5YR 8/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; about 81 percent by volume strongly cemented calcium carbonate gravel; about 85 percent calcium carbonate by volume as masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Roosevelt County, New Mexico; from the intersection of Highway 267 and Highway 236 which is approximately 17 miles northwest of Portales; 1.4 miles east on Highway 236; 220 ft. north in pasture; SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 33, Township 1N, Range 32E; Latitude: 34 degrees, 15 minutes, 35.8 seconds N; Longitude: 103 degrees, 35 minutes, 31.5 seconds W; Melrose SE, New Mexico USGS quad; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. October through March are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in April through September.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F)
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 20 to 51 cm (8 to 20 in)
Particle-size control section: less than 35 percent silicate clay.
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in).
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, sandy loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Note: epipedons with moist value and chroma less than 3.5 are less than 18 cm (7 in thick) or have less than 0.6 percent organic carbon.
Bt horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8
Texture: sandy clay loam
Silicate clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: less than 3 percent by volume as films and filaments
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Bkkm horizon:
Dominantly 15 to 38 cm (6 to 15 in) thick, but ranges up to 102 cm (40 in) thick in some pedons. It is indurated to strongly cemented and contains a few fractures and solution channels.
Bkk horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8
Texture: sandy loam or loam and their gravelly counterparts
Rock fragments: 10 to 90 percent, gravel size, moderately to strongly cemented caliche
Visible calcium carbonate: 50 to 90 percent by volume as masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils include
Arvana,
Friona,
Kimberson,
Potter,
Spraberry (T), and
Stegall series.
Arvana,
Friona and
Stegall soils: have a petrocalcic horizon between 51 and 102 cm (20 to 40 in) of the mineral soil surface; in addition Friona and Stegall soils have a mollic epipedon.
Kimberson soils: have a mollic epipedon.
Potter soils: have more than 35 percent by volume indurated rock fragments in the particle-size control section and do not have a petrocalcic horizon.
Spraberry soils (T): have a moisture control section that is dry in some or all parts for more than 205 but less than 270 days, cumulative, in normal years.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous, loamy eolian deposits from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: nearly level to gently sloping plains, commonly adjacent to draws.
Slopes: 1 to 5 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (57 to 63 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 533 mm (17 to 21 in)
Frost-free period: 185 to 220 days.
Elevation: 792 to 1,524 m (2,600 to 5,000 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 25 to 36.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the similar
Arvana,
Friona,
Kimberson, and
Potter soils and also
Amarillo,
Acuff,
Midessa,
Patricia, and
Posey soils.
Amarillo,
Acuff,
Midessa,
Patricia, and
Posey soils: are on similar landscape positions and do not have a petrocalcic horizon.
Arvana,
Friona, and
Kimberson soils: are on similar landscape positions.
Potter soils: are on slightly lower landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderately permeable above a slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon. Surface runoff is medium on less than 1 percent slopes and high on 1 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are almost exclusively used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Climax vegetation includes sideoats grama, little bluestem, buffalograss, hairy grama, slim tridens, purple and wright threeawns, bushsunflower, gray goldaster, daleas, gayfeather, plains blackfoot, sundrops, catclaw, ephedra, hackberry, and javelinabush. This soil has been correlated to the Very Shallow (R077CY037TX) ecological site in MLRA-77C.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains of west Texas and eastern New Mexico (MLRA-77C). This series is of moderate extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ward County, Texas; 1969.
REMARKS: Series revised MLRA-77 Soil Survey; Lynn County, Texas; 2007. Classification was changed to reflect the aridic/ustic climate of the soil and updated information.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 16 cm (0 to 6 in) (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: 16 to 41 cm (6 to 16 in) (Bt horizon)
Petrocalcic horizon: 41 to 92 cm (16 to 36 in) (Bkkm horizon)
Calcic horizon: 92 to 203 cm (36 to 80 in) (Bkk horizons)
Plugged (kk) horizon: 41 to 203 cm (16 to 80 in) (Bkkm, Bkk horizons)
Note: the kk feature is defined as pedogenic carbonate accumulation that is characterized by laterally continuous carbonates that have engulfed rock, sand, silt, and clay particles; plugged the macroporosity of the soil horizon with 50 percent or more calcium carbonate; and obliterated the original soil structure.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data number - S04NM-041-001 (Roosevelt County, New Mexico).
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.