LOCATION TINIAN NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Tinian very fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common fine vesicular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bt1--3 to 8 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; common fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--8 to 19 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; few medium and common fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Btk--19 to 24 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine irregular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly effervescent; common fine irregular seams and filaments of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
2R--24 inches; hard sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; about 1.2 miles north of Rincon Marquez; 2,000 feet west and 2,600 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 2, T. 8 N., R. 6 W.; 107 degrees 26 minutes 25 seconds west longitude and 35 degrees 49 minutes 11 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through September. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 48 to 53 degrees F.
Depth to lithic contact: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
B horizon
Value: 3 through 5 dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam or clay
Other features: The particle-size control section averages 35 to 45 percent clay.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent. The upper part of the Bt is usually free of calcium carbonates.
COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the Cueva (NM), Durango (CO), Erramouspe (NM), Fikel (NM), Hosta (NM), Montecito (NM), Nogal (NM), Ortiz (NM), Prater and Wilmac series. Cueva soils are moderately deep to weakly weathered calcareous sandstone and shale. Erramouspe soils are weathered from felsite, do not have secondary carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon, and are moist in May and June. Durango, Fikel, Hosta, Montecito, and Prater soils are very deep. Nogal and Wilmac soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Ortiz soils are deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tinian soils are on dipslopes of cuestas, summits of mesas and knolls. They formed in slope alluvium derived from shale and sandstone. Slopes are 1 to 8 percent. Elevation is 6,800 to 7,500 feet. Mean annual temperature is 46 to 55 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches. The frost-free period is 100 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Westmion, Orlie and Vessilla soils. Westmion and Vessilla soils are shallow. Orlie soils are deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Tinian soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is blue grama, western wheatgrass and big sagebrush with very few scattered pinyon and oneseed juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Westcentral New Mexico. MLRA 35, LRR-D. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McKinley County Area, New Mexico; McKinley County and Parts of Cibola and San Juan Counties, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of 3 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 24 inches. (Bt horizons)
Lithic contact - Bedrock at 24 inches. (2R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.
The type location was moved in April 2002.