LOCATION SKELON NV

Established Series
Rev. HJB/RLB
12/2015

SKELON SERIES

The Skelon series consists of moderately deep over an indurated duripan, well drained soils formed in alluvium primarily from limestone, basalt, shale, quartzite and obsidian. Skelon soils are on alluvial fans and fan piedmonts. Slope gradients are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Skelon gravelly sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) About 45 percent of the soil surface is covered with pebbles, 2 percent with cobbles overlain by a 1/2 to 1-inch thick mantle of alluvial sand.

A1--0 to 2 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate coarse platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

A2--2 to 4 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent pebbles; few thin lime coats on ped faces and lining pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)

Bw--4 to 13 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; few thin lime-silica coats on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Bqk1--13 to 20 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; about 30 percent of horizon has moderate fine platy structure and the remainder is massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; lime-silica pendants on undersides of most rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bqk2--20 to 28 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; massive; soft and slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; few thin lime coatings along fractures and pores; lime-silica coatings on undersides of most rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear irregular boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bqkm--28 to 44 inches; white (10YR 8/1) indurated duripan with thin continuous laminar cap, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; extremely firm; strongly cemented horizontal lenses in lower part; 30 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent. (6 to 36 inches thick)

2B'qk1--44 to 52 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) very gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; common weakly silica and lime-cemented masses and few discontinuous strongly silica and lime cemented plates; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)

2B'qk2--52 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) extremely gravelly coarse sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; common weakly and strongly silica and lime-cemented masses and discontinuous plates; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 2.75 miles southeast of Lathrop Wells; 1700 feet south and 1500 feet east of the northwest corner of section 32, T. 15S, R 50E, MDBM.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring months and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to October due to convection storms.

Soil temperature - 59 to 65 degrees F.

Depth to duripan: 20 to 40 inches.

Effervescence - Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

Control section - Percent clay: 3 to 10 percent.

Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly pebbles.

A horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.

Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist.

Bw, Bqk1 and Bqk2 horizons - Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist.

Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 3 through 6 moist.

Texture of fine earth: Fine sandy loam or coarse sandy loam.

Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent weighted average, mainly pebbles.

Reaction: Mildly alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Bqkm horizon - Weakly to strongly cemented duripan with continuous laminar cap.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Shorim (NV) series. Shorim soils have a thin duripan that lies directly over a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Skelon soils are on fan piedmonts and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. These soils are formed in mixed alluvium primarily from limestone, basalt, shale and quartzite. Elevations are 2,300 to 5,000 feet. The climate is arid with cool winters and hot summers. Precipitation comes mostly as fall and winter rain. Average annual precipitation is between 3 and 8 inches. Average annual temperature is between 58 and 63 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Corbilt and Shamock soils which contain less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Corbilt soils also lacks a hardpan within the control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally white bursage with some creosotebush, spiny hopsage and prickly pear cactus.

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

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, 1984.

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

Ochric epipedon - Zone from the surface to 7 inches.

Duripan feature - Indurated (Typic) zone at about 28 to 44 inches (Bqkm horizon).

Cambic horizon - The zone from 4 to 13 inches.

Particle-size control section - The zone at 10 to 28 inches.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.