LOCATION SHORIM                  NV

Established Series
Rev. JR/RLB/WED
12/2015

SHORIM SERIES

The Shorim series consists of moderately deep to duripan, well drained soils that formed in residuum from igneous rock flows with a component of calcareous eolian material. Shorim soils are on footslopes of hills. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 63 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplodurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Shorim very gravelly sandy loam, rangeland. The soil surface is covered with 80 percent rock fragments, mainly pebbles.

A1--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate coarse platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots, many fine and medium vesicular and few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)

A2--3 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine vesicular, and common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bk--10 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic, few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles; common thick lime coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)

Bqkm--21 to 24 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silica-lime cemented hardpan, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; indurated laminar cap. (1 to 5 inches thick.)

R--24 inches; extremely hard basalt bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; 1,600 feet south and 2,600 feet east of the projected northwest corner of Section 11, T. 14 S., R. 48 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry. The upper part of the moisture control section is moist for a very short time in late winter.

Soil temperature - 64 to 70 degrees F.

Depth to duripan - 20 to 38 inches.

Depth to bedrock - 21 to 40 inches.


Control section - Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly pebbles.

Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.


A horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.

Chroma: 2 through 4.


Bk horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4.

Texture of fine earth: Fine sandy loam, sandy loam and coarse sandy loam.

Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

Duripan: Continuous laminar cap directly on top of hard bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Skelon (NV) series. Skelon soils have a thick duripan over unconsolidated alluvium.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shorim soils are on footslopes of hills and formed from igneous rock flows. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations are 3,000 to 4,500 feet. The climate is warm and arid. Distribution of precipitation is relatively even with slight peaks in January and August. Mean annual precipitation is 3 to 5 inches. The mean annual temperature is 62 to 67 degrees F., and the frost-free season is about 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Akela, Arizo and Canutio soils. The Akela soils lack a duripan and are shallow to bedrock. Arizo and Canutio soils are very deep soils in drainageways.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability above the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly shadscale, desertholly, creosotebush, ephedra, and white bursage.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nevada. The soils are not extensive. MLRA 30.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES PROPOSED: Nye County, Nevada, Southwest Part, 1985. The name is coined.

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

Duripan - Indurated zone(Typic) from about 21 to 24 inches (Bqkm horizon).

Particle size control section - The zone from 10 to 21 inches.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 11/2001. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.