LOCATION TEAPOT CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, acid, thermic Typic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Teapot very gravelly loam on a north facing hill of 40 percent slope under chamise at an elevation of 1,600 feet (490 meters). When describe on April 13, 2005, the soil was moist through out. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches (0 to 7 centimeters); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary.
A2--3 to 18 inches (7 to 45 centimeters); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loam, dark grayish brown(10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine through coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 75 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickess of the A horizons is 11 to 18 inches, 27 to 45 centimeters.)
C--18 to 60 inches (45 to 150 centimeters); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.5).
TYPE LOCATION: San Benito County, California; about 4,400 feet (1,350 meters) north along jeep trail from north end of Horse Vaelly Road and 500 feet (150 meters) northwest of this jeep trail; 575 feet east and 2,200 feet south of the northwest corner of section 4, T 17S, R 8E; USGS Topo Valley, California topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees 28 minutes 55.30 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 6 minutes 54.90 seconds west longitude; UTM 668837 meters E, 4039063 meters N, zone 10.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 60 to 63 degrees F (16 to 17 degrees C).
Soil moisture control section: dry in all parts from about May 15 to November 15 (180 days), and moist in all parts from about January 15 to April 15 (90 days).
Particle size control section: Clay: ranges 11 to 25 percent; Coarse fragments: ranges 50 to 80 percent mostly gravel and cobbles.
A horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 though 4; dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Sandy loam, loam
Clay content: 7 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 45 to 75 percent gravel
Soil Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid
C horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 55 to 80 percent gravel
Soil Reaction: very strongly acid to strongly acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Chilao is nonacid and moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Teapot soils are on summits and sideslopes of hills. Slopes range from 35 to 50 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from diatomaceous mudstone. Elevation ranges from 980 to 2,300 feet (300 to 700 meters). The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 17 to 19 inches (432 to 483 millimeters). The mean annual temperature is about is 59 to 63 degrees F (15 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 190 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ordeal and Tuborcio soils. The Ordeal soils are moderately deep to paralithic bedrock of the Temblor Formation on shoulders of hills under chamise. The Tuborcio soils have a fine textured argillic horizon and are on north-facing backslopes of hills under blue oak savannah.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high runoff; moderately rapid permeability. These soils do not flood or pond.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation is Chamise chaparral.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Benito County, California in MLRA 15 Central California Coast Range. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Benito County, California. Source of name is a rock formation in Pinnacles National Monument. This series was established based on limited acreage observed within the National Park Service Pinnacles National Monument boundary.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon-the zone from 0 to 18 inches (0 to 45 centimeters) (A1, A2 horizons)