LOCATION VEAL TX+OK
Established Series
Rev. CLN-RM-TCB
09/2022
VEAL SERIES
The Veal series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in calcareous, slope alluvium and colluvium derived from the Ogallala Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age. These soils are on very gently sloping to moderately steep scarps, knolls, and valley sides. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 496 mm (19.5 in) and mean annual temperature is 16 degrees C (61 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, carbonatic, thermic Aridic Calciustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Veal loam--on gently sloping, convex, 3.5 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 936 m (3,070 ft.). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in); brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; common very fine and fine roots; common fine pores; 2 percent by volume of strongly cemented calcium carbonate nodules less than 20 mm in diameter; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm [2 to 8 in] thick)
Bk--8 to 33 cm (3 to 13 in); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots, few fine pores; about 40 percent of the soil volume is calcium carbonate in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; 25 percent by volume of strongly cemented calcium carbonate nodules less than 50 mm in diameter; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm [0 to 12 in] thick)
Bkk1--33 to 74 cm (13 to 29 in); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; about 60 percent of the soil volume is calcium carbonate in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; 53 percent by volume of strongly cemented calcium carbonate nodules less than 50 mm in diameter; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bkk2--74 to 137 cm (29 to 53 in); pink (7.5YR 8/3) very gravelly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist, moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; about 58 percent of the soil volume is calcium carbonate in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; 45 percent by volume of strongly cemented calcium carbonate nodules less than 50 mm in diameter; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bkk horizon is 150 to 180 cm [59 to 71 in].)
Bkk3--137 to 203 cm (53 to 80 in); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; about 52 percent of the soil volume is calcium carbonate in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; 24 percent by volume of strongly cemented calcium carbonate nodules less than 50 mm in diameter; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lubbock County, Texas; from the intersection of Loop 289 and State Highway 331 in Lubbock; 0.2 mile east on paved road; 0.1 mile southeast on private road; 50 ft north into rangeland; along edge of Yellowhouse Canyon. Latitude: 33 degrees, 32 minutes, 31 seconds N; Longitude: 101 degrees, 46 minutes, 48.3 seconds W; Lubbock East, Texas; USGS quad NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 205 days, cumulative, in normal years. October through March are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in April through September.
Mean annual soil temperature: 16 to 18 degrees C (61 to 64 degrees F).
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in).
Depth to calcic horizon: 13 to 50 cm (5 to 20 in).
Particle-size control section: total clay ranges from 18 to 35 percent and carbonate-free clay ranges from 8 to 17 percent.
Solum thickness: greater than 203 cm (203 in).
Surface fragments: 0 to 13 percent, gravel size, strongly cemented carbonate nodules and fragments.
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 10 percent strongly cemented calcium carbonate fragments and 0 to 3 percent siliceous gravel by volume
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 3 to 20 percent by volume in the form of filaments, films, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bk horizons:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam and their gravelly counterparts
Coarse fragments: 5 to 34 percent strongly cemented calcium carbonate fragments and 0 to 2 percent siliceous gravel by volume
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 49 percent by volume in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 40 percent by weight
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Bkk horizons:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam, and their gravelly or very gravelly counterparts
Coarse fragments: 5 to 58 percent strongly cemented calcium carbonate fragments and 0 to 2 percent siliceous gravel by volume
Visible calcium carbonate: 50 to 80 percent by volume in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 35 to 60 percent by weight
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils include the
Berda,
Conlen,
Likes,
Mansker,
Mobeetie, and
Tulia series.
Berda and
Mobeetie soils: have mixed soil mineralogy.
Conlen soils: have soil temperatures less than 15 degrees C. and a mollic epipedon.
Likes soils: have mixed soil mineralogy and a texture of loamy fine sand or coarser in all horizons.
Mansker and
Tulia soils: have an argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous, loamy slope alluvium and colluvium derived from the Ogallala Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age.
Landform: scarps, knolls, and valley sides.
Slopes: dominantly 3 to 12 percent but range from 1 to 20 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 15 to 17 degrees C (59 to 63 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 559 mm (17 to 22 in).
Frost-free period: 180 to 220 days.
Elevation: 670 to 1,143 m (2,198 to 3,750 ft.).
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 25 to 34.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the similar
Berda,
Likes, and
Mobeetie soils and the
Ady,
Alibates,
Bippus,
Manson,
Paloduro,
Plemons,
Potter, and
Sprone soils.
Ady and
Alibates soils: are on slightly higher landscape positions and have mixed soil mineralogy.
Berda and
Mobeetie soils: are on similar landscape positions.
Bippus and
Sprone soils: are on lower landscape positions and have a mollic epipedon and mixed soil mineralogy.
Likes soils: are on slightly lower landscape positions.
Manson and
Plemons soils: are on slightly higher landscape positions and have an argillic horizon.
Paloduro soils: are on slightly lower landscape positions and have a mollic epipedon and mixed soil mineralogy.
Potter soils: are on similar landscape positions and have a loamy-skeletal particle size class.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderate permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, low on 3 to 5 percent slopes, and medium on 5 to 20 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are primarily used for livestock grazing. Climax vegetation is mainly mid and short grasses and includes blue grama, sideoats grama, and buffalograss, with lesser amounts of vine-mesquite, western wheatgrass, galleta or tobosa, silver bluestem, wild alfalfa, and prairie clover. A few woody species such as hackberry, cholla, and yucca occur with a light to moderate over story of mesquite. This soil has been correlated to the Limey Upland (R077EY057TX) ecological site in MLRA-77E.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Breaks (MLRA 77E in LRR H) of western Texas, eastern New Mexico, and western Oklahoma. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Howard County, Texas; 1967.
REMARKS: This series includes soils, formerly included in the Mansker series, that have an A horizon that are either too thin or too light-colored for the current concept of the Mansker series. Classification changed from fine-loamy to coarse-loamy particle-size control section 5/2007 based on lab data.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in). (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: 3 to 203 cm (8 to 80 in). (Bk and Bkk horizons)
Carbonate engulfed horizon: 33 to 203 cm (13 to 80 in). (Bkk horizons)
Carbonatic mineralogy: the control section from 25 to 100 cm (10 to 40 in) has more than 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent of the materials less than 2 cm in diameter. High calcium carbonate causes many plants to have iron chlorosis. Because of the position on the landscape, a percentage of carbonatic coarse fragments are colluvial contributors and functions as a soil with carbonatic soil mineralogy, even though they did not form in situ.
ADDITIONAL DATA: KSSL - S97TX-303-001 (Lubbock Co., TX) Three partial data by NSSL - 71L465 - 71L466, 71L467 - 71L468, 71L469 - 71L470.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.