LOCATION TSOODZIL NM

Established Series
Rev. SSP/SAZ/WWJ
01/2023

TSOODZIL SERIES

The Tsoodzil series consists of very deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in eolian material and slope alluvium over residuum derived from basalt. Tsoodzil soils are on lava plateaus and cinder cones. Slopes range from 5 to 55 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Tsoodzil very gravelly silt loam--in a ponderosa pine woodland on a southeast facing slope of 11 percent at an elevation of 8,260 feet. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 35 percent basalt gravel, 10 percent basalt cobbles, and 1 percent basalt stones; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

Bt--3 to 10 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) moist; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; few vertical cracks 5 mm or more wide occur from 7 to 20 inches; common distinct clay films coating faces of peds; 2 percent basalt gravel and 3 percent basalt cobbles; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary.

Btss1--10 to 21 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; many slickensides and pressure faces; few vertical cracks 5 mm or more wide occur from 7 to 20 inches; many prominent clay films coating faces of peds and rock fragments; 2 percent basalt gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual irregular boundary.

Btss2--21 to 46 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; many slickensides and pressure faces; many prominent clay films coating faces of peds and rock fragments; 3 percent basalt gravel and 2 percent basalt cobbles; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary.

Btss3--46 to 70 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; few slickensides and pressure faces; many prominent clay films coating faces of peds and rock fragments; 10 percent basalt gravel and 5 percent basalt cobbles; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4). (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 21 to 67 inches.)

TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico Marquez Quadrangle; about 2.5 miles northwest of Marquez, New Mexico; 107 degrees 20 minutes 12 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 20 minutes 13 seconds north latitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually moist, in some part, for more than 90 cumulative days from May through October. It is usually dry, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic ustic moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 42 to 47 degrees F

Particle size control section: 40 to 60 percent clay with 0 to 30 percent rock fragments.

Mollic epipedon thickness: 21 to 40 inches

Depth to visible secondary carbonates (when present): 25 to 45 inches with less than 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.

Vertic features: Depth to slickensides and pressure faces is 7 to 21 inches; subsurface cracks occur from 5 to 25 inches.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry
Texture: silt loam or loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent total range (mostly basalt with some cinders)
15 to 40 percent gravel
5 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 1 percent stones
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

Bt and Btss horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2.5 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: clay, or clay loam or silty clay loam with greater than 35 percent clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent total range (mostly basalt with some cinders)
0 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 1 percent stones
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

Btk horizon (when present)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry or moist
Texture: clay or clay loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 70 percent total range (mostly basalt with some cinders)
5 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
(Note: When a Btk horizon has greater than 35 percent rock fragments, it is either too thin or is
below the particle size control section to affect the particle size class.)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bearpaw (MT), Burnel (MT), Cedarsprings (NM), Cerro (CO), Coben (MT), Danvers (MT), Fergus (MT), Friana (AZ), Gerbana (MT), Gerber (MT), Mondamin (SD), Nunnston (WY), Pagoda (CO), Regent (ND), Reget (WY), Ridgeview (SD), Wyola (MT), Suposo (NM), Tomasaki (UT), and Yankee (NM) series. Burnel soils have accumulations of calcium carbonate. Cedarsprings, Coben, and Reget soils have hues 10YR and yellower. Friana soils have a lithologic discontinuity in the lower part of the profile that is mostly cinders. Gerbana, Montillo, and Reget soils are moderately deep. Cerro, Pagoda, and Suposo soils are formed in shale parent material. Tomasaki soils are formed in diorite parent material. The Cerro, Coben, Gerbana, Pagoda, Suposo, Tomaski, and Yankee soils are in LRR-E. The Bearpaw, Gerber, Mondamin, and Regent soils are in LRR-F. The Burnel, Danvers, Fergus, Reget, Ridgeview, and Wyola soils are in LRR-G. These soils are moist in May and June.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Tsoodzil soils formed in eolian material and slope alluvium over residuum derived from basalt (associated with the Mt. Taylor and Mesa Chivato volcanic fields) and are on lava plateaus and cinder cones. Slopes are 5 to 55 percent. Elevations range from 7,600 to 9,200 feet. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. The frost free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Amcec and Montillo soils on lava plateaus and cinder cones; the Chivato soils on playas; the Canoneros soils on summits of lava plateaus; and the Seco soils on valley floors. The Amcec soils have less than 35 percent clay in the particle size control section. The Montillo soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact with basalt. The Chivato and Seco soils have greater than 60 percent clay in the particle size control section. The Canoneros soils are shallow to a lithic contact with basalt.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very high runoff, and slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for wood products, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is a ponderosa pine woodland with an understory of pinyon, Gambel oak, Arizona fescue, mountain muhly, bottlebrush squirreltail, and prairie junegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central New Mexico; MLRA 35, LRR-D. This series is of moderate 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:

Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 21 inches. (A, Bt, and Btss1 horizons.

Argillic horizon: The zone from 4 to 70 inches. (Bt, Btss1, Btss2, and Btss3 horizons)

Vertic features: The presence of slickensides and pressure faces from 10 to 70 inches and subsurface cracks occurring from 7 to 20 inches.

Pachic feature: The mollic epipedon extends below 16 inches to 21 inches.

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Full characterization sampling 8/92--NSSL S92NM031-3-(1-5).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.