LOCATION TUBA AZ
Established Series
DJP/HAH/RVP
10/2011
TUBA SERIES
The Tuba series consists of deep and very deep, excessively drained soils that formed in eolian sands derived from sandstone. Tuba soils are on dunes, plateaus, and sand sheets. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 55 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Tuba sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; 2 percent clay; weak medium platy parts to single grain structure; soft, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5; clear smooth boundary.
Cn1--4 to 17 inches (10 to 43 cm); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) loamy sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; 3 percent clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly alkaline, pH 8.6; clear smooth boundary.
Cn2--17 to 42 inches (43 to 107 cm); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) loamy fine sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; 4 percent clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly alkaline, pH 9.0; abrupt smooth boundary.
Btnb1--42 to 55 inches (107 to 140 cm); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4), moist; 29 percent clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; very few clay bridges between sand grains and very few clay films on surfaces along pores; violently effervescent, 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; very strongly alkaline, pH 9.6; gradual smooth boundary.
Btnb2--55 to 65 inches (140 to 165 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4), moist; 14 percent clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine tubular pores; very few clay bridges between sand grains and very few clay films on surfaces along pores; strongly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; very strongly alkaline, pH 9.6.
TYPE LOCATION: Soil Survey of Little Colorado River Area, Arizona, Parts of Coconino and Navajo Counties; USGS Quadrangle -Tuba City; Geographic Coordinate System: 36 9' 22.94'' north, 111 13' 44.34'' west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 56 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit (13.1 to 15.1 degrees Celsius)
Clay content in particle size control section: 1 to 10 percent
Depth to buried natric horizon: 40 to 60 inches (100 to 152 cm)
Depth to bedrock: 47 to 80 inches (117.5 to 200 cm)
A and Cn Horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand
Clay: 1 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 12
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
Btnb Horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam
Clay: 10 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 13 to 20
Reaction: strongly alkaline to very strongly alkaline
Some pedons have secondary carbonates
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Als (OR),
Ecklund (CO),
Hawsley (NV),
Isolde (NV),
Kawich (NV),
Razito (NV),
Sheppard (UT),
Stumble (NV),
Sundown (NV),
Tipper (WY),
Tipperary (WY),
Tricera (CO), and
Yenrab (UT) series. All of these soils have 10YR or 2.5Y hues in the particle-size control section and do not have a buried natric horizon. Hawsley, Stumble and Tipperary soils have Ck horizons. Kawich and Sundown soils have a lithologic discontinuity at depths of 40 to 120 inches (100 to 300 cm). Tipper soils have paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 cm). Yenrab soils have an exchangeable sodium percentage of 20 to 50.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tuba soils are on structural benches, dunes, sandsheets, and interdunes at elevations of 4,140 to 5,250 feet (1,261 to 1,600 meters). Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. These soils formed in eolian sands derived from sandstone and siltstone. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches (152 to 254 millimeters) and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December and January. The mean annual air temperature is 54 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit (12.0 to 14.0 degrees Celsius). The frost-free period is 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Claysprings (AZ),
Fajada (NM),
Huerfano (NM), and
Tyende (AZ) soils. Claysprings and Huerfano soils have paralithic bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) and more than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section. Tyende and Fajada soils have natric horizons above 40 inches and more than 8 percent clay in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; negligible to low runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes fourwing saltbush, black greasewood, alkali sacaton, and mound saltbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. Tuba soils are of moderate extent. This soil is named after a town near the type location. MLRA is 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coconino County, Arizona; Soil Survey of Little Colorado River Area, Parts of Coconino and Navajo Counties; 2011
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Buried natric horizon - the zone from 42 to 64 inches (107 to 165 cm) (Btnb horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.