LOCATION ATLANTA NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Atlanta fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 16 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A2--3 to 10 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 22 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
2Bk--10 to 23 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; common (20%) secondary calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; some of the carbonate coats are allogenic which is indicated by rocks with carbonate coats on tops and sides with random orientation; 55 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 30 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
3C1--23 to 33 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 27 percent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
3C2--33 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, common fine and few medium roots; few very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; violently effervescent (CaCO3 equivalent 23 percent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; 5.1 miles east of Highway 93 and 50 feet south of the Atlanta Road; about 2000 feet west and 2500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 7, T. 10 N., R. 67 E.; USGS Indian Springs Knolls 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 44 minutes 34 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees 29 minutes 55 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry; moist in winter and spring, dry May through October except for 10 to 20 days (cumulative) due to summer convection storms. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on xeric.
Soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
Depth to unconformable 2Bk horizons - 10 to 23 inches.
Particle size control section:
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel; individual strata range from 0 to 65 percent. Lithology of the fragments is mostly limestone.
A horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent.
Bk horizon (when present) - Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 35 percent.
Visible secondary carbonates: 5 to 20 percent soft masses or filaments.
2Bk horizon - Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 45 to 65 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 35 percent.
Visible secondary carbonates: 15 to 20 percent soft masses, filaments, and coatings on fragments.
3C horizons - Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adkins (WA), Bertelson (UT), Briabbit (ID), Crestline (UT), Declo (ID), Eoyote (ID), Escalante (UT), Kecko (ID), Palisade (UT), Sagehill (WA), Somsen (ID), and Strevell (ID) series. Adkins soils lack carbonates above 24 inches. Bertelson soils do not have very gravelly or extremely gravelly horizons within the control section and are dominated by alluvium from tuff and ignimbrite. Briabbit soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Crestline soils do not have very gravelly or extremely gravelly horizons within the control section and are not calcareous above the calcic horizon. Declo soils have 0 to 15 percent gravel in the control section. Eoyote soils lack gravel in the control section. Escalante soils do not have very gravelly or extremely gravelly horizons within the control section. Kecko soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to lime and have 0 to 10 percent gravel in the control section. Palisade soils have silt loam, loam or very fine sandy loam textures in the upper part of the control section. Sagehill soils are 10 to 30 inches deep to lime and have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the control section. Somsen soils are moderately deep over hard bedrock. Strevell soils are 4 to 10 inches deep to lime and have Bk horizons with silt loam or loam textures of the fine earth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Atlanta soils are at elevations of 5,500 to 6,500 feet. They are on fan aprons, fan skirts and inset fans that receive occasional flooding. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. They formed in alluvium from limestone with lesser amounts of welded tuff. The climate is semiarid mid-latitude steppe with cold winters and hot summers. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is 67 to 71 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Kunzler, Rouette and Ursine. Kunzler soils have calcic horizons containing durinodes. Rouette and Ursine soils are shallow to a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low or low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Atlanta soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is basin big sagebrush, basin wildrye and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part, 2004. The name is from a nearby historic mine and town site.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of 10 inches, (A1 and A2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 10 to 23 inches, (2Bk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches, (2Bk, 3C1 and part of the 3C2 horizons).