LOCATION VERTINE ID
Established Series
Rev. RK/CLM/KP
10/2026
VERTINE SERIES
The Vertine series consists of moderately deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in residuum weathered from travertine. These soils are on travertine terraces. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 450 millimeters, and mean annual temperature is about 3 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Oxyaquic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vertine sandy loam in a meadow. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed plant material and live roots; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--5 to 24 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine and fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; many fine irregular soft secondary calcium carbonate masses and seams; 80 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt wavy boundary.
C1--24 to 28 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) extremely channery loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; strong very thick platy structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium irregular and tubular pores; 90 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; 65 percent travertine channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary.
C2--28 to 41 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly loamy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; common fine, medium and coarse prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) mottles; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine irregular pores; 90 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; 20 percent travertine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8). abrupt wavy boundary.
C3--41 to 61 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely channery loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; few fine prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) mottles; strong very thick platy structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium irregular and tubular pores; 85 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; 80 percent travertine channers; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary.
C4--61 to 79 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine and medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6 and 7.5YR 7/6) mottles; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; violently effervescent (85 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 20 percent travertine gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
R--79 cm; very strongly cemented travertine.
TYPE LOCATION: Caribou County, Idaho; USGS China Hat topographic quadrangle; latitude 42.80222 degrees north, longitude 111.53527 degrees west, datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3.3 to 5.6 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--15.0 to 18.3 degrees C
Thickness of mollic epipedon--18 to 25 cm
Depth to lithic contact--50 to 100 cm
Depth to seasonal water table: 50 to 100 cm December through July
Particle-size control section weighted averages
Clay content--8 to 15 percent
Rock fragments--35 to 65 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--70 to 90 percent
Oi horizon
Texture--slightly decomposed plant material and live roots with some moss
Reaction--pH 4.5 to 5.5
Oragnic matter content--65 to 95 percent
Thickness--2 to 5 cm
A horizon
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Clay content--7 to 15 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--70 to 85 percent
Reaction--pH 7.5 to 8.0
Thickness--7 to 20 cm
C horizons
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--7 or 8 dry, 5 to 8 moist
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, sand
Clay content--1 to 15 percent
Rock fragments--15 to 80 percent-15 to 80 percent gravel and channers, 0 to 80 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent--70 to 90 percent
Reaction--pH 7.5 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--travertine terraces
Elevation--1,520 to 1,910 meters
Slope--0 to 6 percent
Parent material--residuum weathered from travertine
Mean annual air temperature--2.2 to 4.4 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation--400 to 500 millimeters
Frost-free period--60 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained, 1.5 to 50.0 um/sec in the upper part, 150.0 to 700.0 um/sec in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Vertine soils are primarily used for nonirrigated pasture. The potential native vegetation is shrubby cinquefoil, bluegrass and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Vertine soils are of small extent in southeastern Idaho; MLRA 13.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Caribou County, Idaho, 1993. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mottles-- result of minerals deposited by geologic action rather than redoximorphic features.
Mollic epipedon--5 to 24 cm (A horizon)
Lithic contact--79 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section--30 to 79 cm
Vertine soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime.
Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.