LOCATION SPYGLASS NMTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Ustic Argigypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Spyglass silt loam--on the floodplain of a valley floor sloping 1 percent to the southwest-west at 6,208 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on May 23, 2002, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 11 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and common very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly effervescent (3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 17 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to 20 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly effervescent (4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Btk--20 to 23 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly to violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common coarse irregularly shaped soft masses (6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
2ABk--23 to 26 inches; dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) loam, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few coarse irregularly shaped soft masses (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
2By1--26 to 30 inches; gray (2.5Y 6/1) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly to violently effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); secondary gypsum impregnates the horizon and occurs as few fine irregularly shaped soft masses (50 percent gypsum); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
2By2--30 to 46 inches; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and white (2.5Y 8/1) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; very slightly effervescent (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); secondary gypsum impregnates the horizon and occurs as many medium spherical and irregularly shaped soft masses (38 percent gypsum); many fine and medium irregularly shaped reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) relict redoximorphic concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
2By3--46 to 67 inches; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and white (2.5Y 8/1) clay loam, very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) and light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; secondary gypsum impregnates the horizon and occurs as many medium spherical and irregularly shaped soft masses (33 percent gypsum); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
3BCk--67 to 108 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very gravelly sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 50 percent gravel; slightly to strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as many fine irregularly shaped coats on rock fragments (3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 7 miles south-southeast of Stanley; 2600 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of section ?? T.10N., R.9E.; USGS Longhorn Reservoir 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 02 minutes 53.5 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 56 minutes 42.6 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is intermittently moist in some part from July to October and December to March. It is assumed to be dry in all parts 50 to 75 percent of the time (cumulative), when the soil temperature at 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or higher. The soils are driest in May and June. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on ustic.
Soil temperature - 51 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 19 to 30 inches
Depth to calcareous material (as visible secondary calcium carbonate) 9 to 19 inches
Depth to gypsic horizon 19 to 38 inches
Particle-size control section weighted averages
Silicate clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 20 to 30 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction slightly alkaline in the surface; moderately alkaline in the subsoil
A horizon
Value 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4, dry or moist
Clay content - 15 to 20 percent
Bt horizons
Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture - silty clay loam, clay loam, clay
Clay content - 25 to 34 percent
Btk horizon
Hue - 5YR or 7.5 YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture - silty clay loam, clay loam, clay
Clay content - 25 to 33 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 3 to 10 percent
2Abk horizon
Hue - 7.5 YR or 10YR
Value 3 or 4, dry or moist
Chroma - 1 or 2, dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 5 to 14 percent
2By horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 4 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture - loam, silt loam, clay loam, silty clay loam
Gypsum content - 30 to 55 percent
3BCk horizon
Value - 4 or 5, dry or moist
Chroma - 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture very gravelly sand or very gravelly loamy sand
Rock fragments - 35 to 55 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 1 to 4 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. A similar soil is the Cielito series. Cielito soils are fine-loamy, have gypsic mineralogy, and are deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Spyglass soils are on floodplain steps of basin floors . They formed in eolian, alluvium and lacustrine deposits derived from sandstone, shale, and gypsum. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,200 to 6,900 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 140 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arojomil, Hyer, and Trofes soils. Arojomil soils are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon, do not have secondary gypsum, and occur on undulating plains and plateaus. Hyer soils are fine-silty, do not have secondary gypsum, and occur on undulating plains. Trofes soils have gypsic horizons below forty inches and occur on low stream terraces of basin floors.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; permeability is slow
USE AND VEGETATION: Spyglass soils are used for livestock grazing, and irrigated farming. Present vegetation is alkali sacaton and galleta.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Spyglass soils are of small extent on the Estancia Basin of the Basin and Range province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 70.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES PROPOSED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Soil Survey Update; 2003. Spyglass is a coined name.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - surface to a depth of about 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 2 to about 24 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons)
Gypsic horizon - 27 to about 67 inches. (2By1, 2By2, and 2By3 horizons)
Lithologic discontinuity 67 inches. (3BCk horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: The series type location has been sampled for full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S-NM-02-049-007; Calcium carbonate equivalence was determined using a field calcimeter..