LOCATION DRAKE TX+NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Calciustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Drake loam, on a convex, curvilinear dune on the east side of a playa basin, 5 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 1,067 meters (3,500 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 13 cm (0 to 5 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few worm casts; strongly effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
A2--13 to 38 cm (5 to 15 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few worm casts; few fine calcium carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 13 to 51 cm)
Bk1--38 to 71 cm (15 to 28 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; about 2 percent fine threads and nodules of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 51 cm thick)
Bk2--71 to 109 cm (28 to 43 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; about 2 percent fine threads and nodules of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent (19 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 51 cm thick)
Bk3--109 to 175 cm (43 to 69 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; about 2 percent fine threads and nodules of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (13 to 76 cm thick)
Bk4--175 to 229 cm (69 to 90 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; about 2 percent fine nodules of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Hockley County, Texas; from the junction of TX Highway 300 and U.S. Highway 385 in Levelland, 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) south on U. S. Highway 385, 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) east on a county road, 644 meters (0.4 mile) north on county road, 30 meters (100 feet) east in a pasture; Latitude: 33 degrees, 32 minutes, 58.8 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 21 minutes, 00.3 seconds W; Levelland East, Texas USGS quad; NAD 83.
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 205 days, cumulative, in normal years. July through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist September through November and March through June.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 13 to 51 cm (5 to 20 inches)
Depth to calcic horizon: 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 inches)
Solum thickness: More than 203 cm (80 inches)
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent silicate clay
A horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Effervescence: Strong or violent
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bw horizon: (where present)
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: Loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: Less than 2 percent in the form of fine threads and nodules
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Effervescence: Strong or violent
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 8, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: Fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: 2 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 30 percent
Effervescence: Violent
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Midessa series of the same family and the
Arch,
Berda,
Gomez,
Mobeetie, and
Veal series of similar families.
Midessa series: has more than 5 percent visible carbonates in the calcic horizon and formed in eolian and alluvial sediments of Pleistocene age.
Arch and Veal series: have carbonatic mineralogy and the Veal soils formed in loamy alluvial and colluvial sediments derived from the Ogallala
Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age.
Berda series: parent material composed mainly of slope alluvium and colluvium derived from the Ogallala Formation and does not have a calcic horizon.
Gomez series: has coarse-loamy particle-size control section.
Mobeetie series: has coarse-loamy particle-size control section and does not have a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous, loamy eolian sediments of Late Pleistocene to Holocene age.
Landform: convex, linear, and curvilinear dunes mainly on the eastern margin of playa or salt lake basins.
Slopes: dominantly 3 to 12 percent, but range from 1 to 30 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (57 to 62 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 533 millimeters (17 to 21 inches)
Frost-free period: 180 to 220 days
Elevation: 793 to 1,402 meters (2,600 to 4,600 feet)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 30 to 34
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar
Arch and
Midessa soils, and the
Acuff,
Amarillo,
Cedarlake,
Chapel,
Estacado,
Hindman,
Lamesa,
Lazbuddie,
Lenorah,
McLean,
Olton,
Pantex,
Pep,
Portales,
Pullman,
Ranco,
Randall,
Seagraves,
Sparenberg, and
Yellowlake series.
Arch and Midessa soils: are on slightly lower landscape positions adjacent to the dunes.
Acuff, Amarillo, Estacado, Olton, Pantex, Pep, and Pullman soils: are on slightly lower positions on the surrounding nearly level to gently sloping plains and have an argillic horizon.
Cedarlake and Lenorah soils: are on lower landscape positions and have a sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) more than 13.
Chapel, Lazbuddie, McLean, Ranco, Randall, and Sparenberg soils: are on lower landscape positions in playa basins adjacent to the dunes and have vertic features.
Hindman soils: occur in broad shallow, linear relict valleys and drainageways and have fluventic properties.
Lamesa and Seagraves soils: are on lower landscape positions in playa basins and have an argillic horizon.
Portales soils: are on lower landscapes and have a mollic epipedon.
Yellowlake soils: are on lower landscape positions and have more than 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderately permeable. Surface runoff is medium on 1 to 8 percent slopes and high on 8 to 30 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for livestock grazing. Native vegetation includes mid and tall grasses with a lesser short grass component and a few woody plants. Forbs also occur but are not abundant. Grasses include sideoats and blue gramas, buffalograss, western wheatgrass, alkali sacaton, vine-mesquite, and small amounts of switchgrass. Other species include prairieclover, sensitivebrier, wild alfalfa, daleas, fourwing saltbrush, and cholla. Where cropped, the principal crops are cotton and grain sorghum. This soil has been correlated to the High Lime (077CY026TX) range site in MLRA-77C.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Southern Part (MLRA 77C in LRR H) of western Texas and eastern New Mexico. The soil is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harding County, (Mesa SCD) New Mexico; 1939
REMARKS: Series classification changed from Haplustepts to Calciustepts in 2002 based on data collected during the soil survey updates of Carson, Deaf Smith, Hockley, Lynn, Randall and Terry Counties, Texas.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 38 cm. (A1, A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon: 38 to 175 cm. (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons)
Calcic horizon: 71 to 109 cm. (Bk2 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data available from Hockley County, TX (S99TX-219-002).
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.