LOCATION SURFAZ UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, siliceous, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Surfaz extremely stony loamy sand on 3 percent south facing slope, in rangeland at an elevation of 6,680 feet. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
The surface is covered by 35 percent rock fragments.
A--0 to 2 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) extremely stony loamy sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine platy structure parting to weak very fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine, few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 8 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) very cobbly sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine, common fine, few medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; very slightly effervescent, (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--8 to 20 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) extremely cobbly sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine, few medium tubular pores; few discontinuous distinct clay bridges between sand grains, few discontinuous faint clay skins on rock fragments; 30 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; very slightly effervescent, (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
2Bk1--20 to 45 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) extremely cobbly coarse sand, brown (5YR 4/4) moist; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine, few fine and medium interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones; very slightly effervescent, (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and segregated in 1 mm thick coatings on lower surfaces of rock fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (11 to 25 inches thick)
2Bk2--45 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) extremely cobbly coarse sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones; very slightly effervescent, (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and segregated in 1 mm thick coatings on lower surfaces of rock fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah, about 3 miles southeast of Elkhorn Guard Station; USGS Ice Cave Peak, Utah quadrangle; 300 feet south, 800 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 36, T.2N., R.1W., USBM; 40 degrees, 32 minutes, 00 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees, 56 minutes, 18 seconds west longitude; NAD 027.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls evenly throughout the year, with a slight increase in late summer and fall. The moisture regime is ustic aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F.
The particle- size control section ranges from 8 to 18 percent clay and 60 to 80 percent rounded rock fragments.
A horizon:
Value: 4 through 6 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragment content: 60 to 80 percent quartzite and sandstone gravel, cobbles and stones.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bw horizon (when present):
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Bt horizon:
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6
Texture: extremely cobbly sandy loam, extremely stony sandy loam or extremely stony loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
2Bk horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Texture: extremely cobbly coarse sand, extremely cobbly sand, extremely cobbly sandy loam, extremely stony loamy sand or extremely stony sand
Clay content: 0 to 15 percent
Rock fragment content: 60 to 80 percent quartzite and sandstone gravel, cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: outwash derived from quartzite and sedimentary rocks
Landform: outwash terraces and outwash fans
Slopes: 2 to 15 percent
Elevation: 5,100 to 6,800 feet
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches
Mean annual air temperature: ranges from 45 to 49 degrees F.
Frost-free period: 110 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Clapper, Cottree , Hazmaz , Robido , Uver and Yarts soils. The Clapper soils have a calcic horizon. The Cottree and Robido soils have mollic epipedons. The Hazmaz soils are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon. The Uver soils are sandy-skeletal and have an irregular decrease of organic carbon above 1.25 meters. The Yarts soils are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low or low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for rangeland. Potential vegetation consists of Wyoming big sagebrush, needleandthread, galleta, and Indian ricegrass. This soil has been correlated to Semidesert Gravelly Loam (Wyoming Big Sagebrush) - 034XY205UT range site in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Utah; LRR D, MLRA 34. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County, Uintah Area Soil Survey, Utah, 1992. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 2 inches. (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 20 inches (Bt horizon)
In November, 1994 the classification was changed from loamy-skeletal, siliceous, mesic Ustollic Haplargids to loamy-skeletal, siliceous, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids.
The surface texture modifier was determined following the guidelines outlined in the Utah document, "Procedures for Distributing Rock Fragments on the Surface Layer into the Upper 6 inches of Soil and Subsequent Naming of Map Units, April 1979."
Additional Data; Lab. sample #CP92UT023 (S91UT-047-005), of typifying pedon in Uintah County, Utah sampled by the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE. The changes in textures, the change to siliceous mineralogy and CEC activity class were based on this laboratory data.
Taxonomic version: Seventh Edition, 1996.