LOCATION WHITEROBE CA

Established Series
Rev: SMR/PBF/CAH/ET
05/2012

WHITEROBE SERIES

The Whiterobe series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from granitoid and/or gneissic rock. Whiterobe soils are on mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. The average annual precipitation is 100 millimeters (4 inches) and the average annual air temperature is 21.5 degrees C (71 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, hyperthermic Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Whiterobe gravel, on a southwest-facing, 51 percent slope at an elevation of 590 meters (1,935 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

C -- 0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inch); gravel; 10 percent fine gravel, 48 percent medium and coarse gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 centimeters thick)

A -- 3 to 5 centimeters (1 to 2 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent fine gravel, 40 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 centimeters thick)

Bk1 -- 5 to 30 centimeters (2 to 12 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots, common fine roots matted around rock fragments, and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 50 percent prominent, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) moist, calcium carbonate coats on top surfaces of rock fragments; 15 percent fine gravel, 25 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse paragravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary.

Bk2 -- 30 to 65 centimeters (12 to 26 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) paragravelly sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 30 percent prominent, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) moist, calcium carbonate coats on top surfaces of rock fragments; 5 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse gravel and 10 percent medium and coarse paragravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of Bk horizons is 39 to 77 centimeters)

Crk -- 65 to 150 centimeters (26 to 60 inches); moderately cemented, soft granitoid bedrock with cracks greater than 10 centimeters apart; high excavation difficulty; few fine roots in mats at top of horizon; 80 percent prominent, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) moist, calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; slightly effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; approximately 21 kilometers (13 miles) north of the city of Indio; approximately 145 meters (475 feet) west and 725 meters (2,380 feet) south of the NE corner of sec. 20, T. 3 S., R. 7 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; USGS East Deception Canyon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 33 degrees, 53 minutes and 50 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 16 minutes and 3 seconds west longitude; UTM 11S 567718e 3751015n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some parts for short
periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative
between July and September following summer convection storms. These soils
have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 22 to 25 degrees C (72 to 79 degrees F).

Surface rock fragments: 80 to 90 percent, dominantly gravel.

Control section -
Rock fragments: ranges from 5 to 55percent, averages 10 to 30 percent, dominantly gravel.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Clay content: 1 to 6 percent.
Depth to paralithic contact: 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).

C horizon (when present)
Rock fragments: 80 to 90 percent; with 40 to 80 percent gravel, 5 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 6 percent stones and boulders.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, and 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, and 2 or 3 moist.
Clay content: 1 to 4 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent, dominantly gravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent or very slightly effervescent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bk1 or Bw horizons
Value: 3 to 6 dry, and 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, and 2 to 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: 1 to 6 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 70 percent; with 15 to 55 percent indurated gravel, 0 to 2 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent paragravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline.

Bk2 horizon
Value: 3 to 6 dry, and 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, and 2 to 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: 1 to 6 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 45 percent; with 5 to 35 percent indurated gravel and 0 to 10 percent paragravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline.

C, C' or Ck horizons (when present)
Value: 5 to 7 dry, and 2 to 6, moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, and 2 to 4, moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: 1 to 4 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 90 percent; 3 to 32 percent indurated gravel and 2 to 58 percent paragravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to violently effervescent.
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bristolake (CA), Goldrose (CA) and Sheephole (CA) series. All of these soils are very deep. Bristolake and Goldrose soils formed in alluvium and Sheephole soils formed in eolian material with some mixed alluvium.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Whiterobe soils are on mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from granitoid and/or gneissic rock. Elevations range from 120 to 1,130 meters (395 to 3,700 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters (3 to 5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 20 to 23 degrees C (68 to 73 degrees F). The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigbernie, Bulletproof, Fanhill and Goldenhills soils. These soils are on similar landscape positions. Bigbernie soils are skeletal throughout the particle-size control section. Bulletproof and Fanhill soils are shallow to a paralithic contact. In addition, Fanhill soils have a loamy particle-size control section and a cambic horizon above the paralithic contact. Goldenhills soils have a sandy-skeletal particle-size control section and are deep to a lithic contact.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity above the bedrock and moderately high within the bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: Whiterobe soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is creosote bush, brittlebush and burrobush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County, California, Soil Survey of Joshua Tree National Park, California, 2012. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this soil include:

C horizon - from a depth of 0 to 3 centimeters.
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 3 to 21 centimeters (A and Bk horizon).
Paralithic contact - the zone beginning at 65 centimeters (Crk horizon).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 25 to 65 centimeters (part
of the Bk1 horizon and the Bk2 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 1249800214.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.