LOCATION WARNERMOUNT CA OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid Vitrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Warnermount gravelly ashy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). The soil surface is partly covered by 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones.
A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed gravelly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) crushed moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent cobbles and 25 percent pebbles; neutral, (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed very stony ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) crushed moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 2 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and 2 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds and 15 percent faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones and 35 percent pebbles; neutral, (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--10 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) crushed extremely cobbly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) crushed moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine to medium roots; common very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent faint clay bridges between sand grains and 15 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds and 15 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores; 5 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles, and 40 percent pebbles; neutral, (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bt3--21 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) crushed extremely cobbly ashy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) crushed moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine to medium roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 15 percent faint clay bridges between sand grains and 15 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds and 15 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores; 10 percent paracobbles, 20 percent paragravel, 30 percent pebbles and 30 percent cobbles; neutral, (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bt4--26 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) crushed extremely cobbly ashy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) crushed moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine to medium roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 25 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds and 25 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores; 15 percent paragravel, 15 percent paracobbles, 30 percent cobbles and 30 percent pebbles; neutral, (pH 6.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
R--33 inches; unweathered andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Modoc County, California; on the Modoc National Forest in the Warner Mountains; 1,850 feet west and 2,000 feet north of the southeast corner of section 19, T 47N., R 16E. ; Mount Bidwell USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 55 minutes 38 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees 10 minutes 38 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - These soils are usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry later in summer and fall; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 0.4 percent.
Volcanic glass content - 50 to 80 percent in the coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches to lithic bedrock. The lithic materials below the contact are andesite or tuff.
Profile reaction - Slightly acid or neutral.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 20 to 27 percent, (field estimates).
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, mainly cobbles or stones. Lithology of the fragments is mainly andesite, andesitic tuff or tuff-breccia.
A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Bt1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 45 to 70 percent.
Structure: Moderate or strong, fine and medium subangular blocky.
Organic matter content: 1 to 2 percent.
Bt horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy loam, ashy clay loam or ashy sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 22 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Structure: Moderate or strong, fine to coarse subangular blocky.
Organic matter content: 1 to 2 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chesebro, Eep, Lyonman, Monasterio, and Vetash series. Chesebro, Eep and Vetash are very deep. Lyonman soils have a 12 to 20 inch thick mollic epipedon, a paralithic contact and an organic layer at the surface. Monasterio soils have 7 to 17 inch thick epipedons and a Btq horizon with silica pendants on underside of rocks.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Warnermount soils are on mountains. They formed in volcanic ash and colluvium over residuum derived from andesite or tuff. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 4,480 to 7,750 feet. The climate is subhumid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 26 inches, most of which comes as snow. The mean annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burningman and Crazybird series. Burningman have lithic material within 20 inches and more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Crazybird soils have paralithic material within 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Warnermount soils are used for watershed, wildlife habitat, and livestock grazing. The vegetation consists of bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, mountain brome, needlegrass, mountain big sagebrush, and antelope bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California and southern Oregon. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 21.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Oregon, Southern Part, 2006. The soil was originally proposed in Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area, California and Nevada, 2005.
REMARKS: The name is coined.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the mineral soil surface to 40 inches (A and the Bt horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature -- High volcanic glass content in the .02 to 2mm fraction from the mineral soil surface to 40 inches (A and the Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 33 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 33 inches to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 2 to 22 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and part of Bt3 horizon).