LOCATION BROWNFIELD TX+NM+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Arenic Aridic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Brownfield fine sand, on a northeast-facing, very gently sloping plain, 2 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 3,735 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sand, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose; many very fine and fine roots; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
E1--6 to 12 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose; many very fine and fine roots; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
E2--12 to 23 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; single grain; loose; common very fine and fine roots; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (combined E horizons are 15 to 30 inches thick)
E/Bt--23 to 28 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist and red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--28 to 45 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bt2--45 to 55 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bt3--55 to 67 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bt4--67 to 80 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Yoakum County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 380 and State Highway 214 in Plains, 8.5 miles north on State Highway 214, 2 miles east and northeast on ranch road, 0.5 miles north on ranch road in rangeland; Latitude: 33 degrees, 20 minutes, 10 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 47 minutes, 55 seconds W; Two B Ranch, Texas USGS quad; NAD 27.
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 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. July through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through June.
Mean annual soil temperature: 59 to 67 degrees F.
Depth to secondary carbonates: 60 to 80 inches.
Solum thickness: more than 80 inches.
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent silicate clay.
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: fine sand
Effervescence: none to very slight
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
E horizon: (where present)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand
Effervescence: none to very slight
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: sandy clay loam
Effervescence: none to slight
Reaction: slightly acid to neutral
Btk horizon: (where present)
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: sandy clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: 3 to 10 percent in the form of films, threads, and nodules.
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils include the
Amarillo,
Grandfield,
Miles,
Patricia,
Plains,
Seagraves,
Springer,
Tokio, and
Yoakran series.
Amarillo, Grandfield, Miles, and Patricia series: do not have a surface horizon with sandy particle-size class greater than 20 inches thick.
Seagraves series: is wetter in the moisture control section.
Springer series: has less than 18 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Plains and Yoakran series: have siliceous mineralogy.
Tokio series: does not have an argillic horizon and have a buried soil within 20 to 40 inches of the soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy eolian sediments from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: nearly level to gently sloping plains.
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent but range to 5 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 57 to 65 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 17 to 22 inches.
Frost-free period: 180 to 220 days.
Elevation: 2,500 to 4,100 feet.
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 22 to 32.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar
Amarillo,
Patricia,
Plains,
Tokio, and
Yoakran series and the
Arvana,
Circleback,
Gomez,
Levelland, and
Nutivoli series.
Amarillo, Patricia, Plains and Yoakran soils are on similar landscape positions.
Arvana soils are similar or slightly lower landscape positions and have an indurated to strongly cemented petrocalcic horizon between 20 and 40 inches from the soil surface.
Circleback and Nutivoli soils are on higher landscape positions and have a sandy particle-size class and do not have an argillic horizon.
Gomez soils are on similar landscape positions but are calcareous throughout and have not developed an argillic horizon.
Levelland soils are on lower landscaper positions in drainageways and draws.
Tokio soils are on lower landscape positions and have a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and low on 3 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for cropland but also used as native rangeland. Principal crops grown are cotton and grain sorghum. Climax vegetation is tall and mid grasses, with tall grasses tending to dominate. This site is dominated by little and sand bluestem along with taller dropseed species. The remainder is mid and short grasses such as sideoats grama, sand dropseed, hooded windmillgrass, sand lovegrass, sand paspalum, fall witchgrass, hairy grama, needle and thread, and perennial threeawn. Sand sage, shinoak, and skunkbush are also present. This soil has been correlated to the Sandy (077CY035TX) range site in MLRA-77.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains of western Texas and eastern New Mexico (sub-MLRA-77C). The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Andrews County, Texas; 1941.
REMARKS: Series revised MLRA-77 Soil Survey; Type Location moved from Cochran to Yoakum County, Texas; 1997.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 23 inches. (A, E1, E2 horizons)
Albic horizon: 6 to 28 inches. (E1, E2, E/Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon: 23 to 80 inches. (E/Bt, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4 horizons)
Arenic feature: 0 to 28 inches. (A, E1, E2, E/Bt horizons)Pale feature: silicate clay content does not decrease by 20 percnet from the maximum within 60 inches of the surface.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data available on mechanical analysis and mineralogy - Sample number: S85TX-501-001 & S81TX-501-001 (Yoakum Co. Texas), S81TX-079-001 (Cochran Co. Texas), S95TX-305-043 (Lynn Co. Texas), S90NM-009-009 (Curry Co. New Mexico).
Soil interpretations record: TX0118
Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998.