LOCATION SURGE AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Surge sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) 15 to 40 percent of the surface is covered with gravel and cobble
A--0 to 0.5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary (1 to 3 inches thick).
AB--0.5 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; weak thin and moderately thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary (1 to 3 inches thick).
Bw--2 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent to slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary (3 to 15 inches thick).
R--7 inches; hard; unweathered basalt surge conglomerate; violently effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Cochise County, Arizona; located at a latitude of 31 degrees, 31 minutes, 37 seconds North and longitude of 109 degrees, 13 minutes, 54 seconds west; about 500 feet east and 1,100 feet north of the southwest corner of Section 7, Township 22 S., Range 31 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Intermittently moist in some part of soil moisture control section during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 62 to 69 degrees F
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent gravel and cobble
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Clay content: ranges from 10 to 30 percent
Organic matter: 0.5 to 2 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Depth to unweathered bedrock: 5 to 20 inches
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 2 through 5 dry, 2 through 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Lacoca (NM) series. Lacoca soils are moist in the soil moisture control section during May and June and occur in the Great Plains.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Surge soils are on volcanic surge conglomerate rings, hills, and mountains at elevations of 3,800 to 5,200 feet. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. These soils formed in slope alluvium and residuum from basalt surge conglomerate and andesite. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December to February. The mean annual air temperature is 60 to 67 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 230 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Paramore, Krentz, Boss, Epitaph and Outlaw soils. Paramore soils are moderately deep. Boss soils have more than 35 percent clay. Krentz and Outlaw soils are very deep. Epitaph soils have a petrocalcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate to moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes sideoats grama, and other annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Surge soils are of minor extent. This soil occurs in LRR-D, MLRA 41.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona. Soil survey of Cochise County, Arizona, Douglas-Tombstone Part.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Lithic contact at 7 inches
Entisol feature - the absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.