LOCATION ROCKABIN NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Xeric Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Rockabin very gravelly coarse sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 5 percent stones, l5 percent cobbles and 30 percent pebbles.
Al--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)
A2--5 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
Cl--20 to 43 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; 55 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 38 cm thick)
C2--43 to 53 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; 70 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 40 cm thick)
Cr--53 cm; fractured altered granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Mineral County, Nevada, in the Wassuk range, approximately 2,400 feet north and 1,900 feet east of the southwest corner of section 22, T. ll N., R. 28 E.; latitude 38 degrees 47 minutes 58 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 50 minutes 44 seconds W; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring and early summer, dry summer and fall but moist intermittently due to convection storms. Dry in all parts for at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature - 12 to 15 degrees C.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 20 to 36 cm.
Depth to weathered bedrock - 50 to 100 cm.
Particle-size control section - Percent clay: l0 to l8 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 35 to 60 percent pebbles more than 50 percent 2 to 5 millimeters in size. Individual horizons may have up to 70 percent pebbles.
Sand fraction: Dominated by coarse sand.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly acid to neutral.
C horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Basinpeak, Berrycreek, Decram, Fairydell, Foxmount, Gaia, Klug, Krackle, Lag, Middlehill, Steepshrub, Sup, Timmercrek, Wareagle and Yellowgrove series.
Basinpeak, Berrycreek, Fairydell, Gaia, Klug, Krackle, Lag, Steepshrub, Sup, Timmercrek, Wareagle and Yellowgrove soils have bedrock at depths greater than 100 cm. Decram, Krackle and Middlehill soils have lithic contact between 40 and 100 cm. Foxmount soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 4 to 6 degrees C.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rockabin soils are on mountain side slopes and shoulders. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from granitic rock. Slopes are l5 to 75 percent. Elevations are 2,440 to 3,200 meters. The climate is cool, continental with warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is about 300 to 360 mm; average annual air temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free season is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hiridge and Snopoc series. Hiridge soils have an argillic horizon. Snopoc soils are mare than 100 cm deep to bedrock and have a mollic epipedon over 40 cm thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, prairie Junegrass, phlox, Indian ricegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and some desert bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central Nevada. these soils are not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County Area Nevada, l983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and fetures recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to about 20 cm (A1, A2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at about 53 cm (Cr layer)
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 25 to 53 cm. (part of the C1 and C2 horizons)