HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gile, L. H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Gile, L. H. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Gile, L. H.

Soils of the Rio Grande Valley Border in Southern New Mexico¹

ABSTRACT

Many kinds of desert soils occur along the border of the Rio Grande Valley in southern New Mexico. These include series in the Torripsamments, Torriorthents, Camborthids, Haplargids, Paleargids, Calciorthids, and Paleorthids. Soil morphology and distribution are related to soil age, texture of parent materials, present and past climate, soil biota, geomorphic surface, and degree of landscape stability. Increase in soil development with age is shown by increasing carbonate accumulation, by increasing silicate clay accumulation in some soils, and by increasing thickness of solum.

Radiocarbon ages of buried charcoal show that some soils are of Holocene age while others are much older and started their development at various times in the Pleistocene. Morphology of the Holocene soils indicates present processes of pedogenesis in this desert region. Certain morphological similarities of Holocene soils to those of Pleistocene age also suggest the character of present processes of pedogenesis in soils that started their development in the Pleistocene. The illuviation of carbonate in nearly all soils and the illuviation of silicate clay in some soils are features of pedogenesis at the present time.

The argillic horizons have been turncated in many soils along the valley border and in others have been engulfed by carbonate or mixed by soil biota. Horizons of carbonate accumulation in these soils are commonly compact and some are indurated, thus are more resistant to erosion and disruption by soil biota. Development of the horizon of carbonate accumulation is therefore a more reliable indicator of approximate soil age than morphology of the B horizon.

Soils discussed in this report have formed in alluvial parent materials derived from noncalcareous rocks, and calcareous dust is virtually the sole source of pedogenic carbonate. Percentages of CaCO₃ equivalent for such soils, as determined in the laboratory and controlled by soil morphology, are measures of approximate amounts of dust-derived illuvial carbonate.

¹ Contribution of Soil Survey Investigations, Soil Conservation, USDA. Acknowledgment is made to F. F. Peterson, R. B. Grossman, and J. W. Hawley for their aid in this study.

² Soil Scientist, Soil Survey Investigations, SCS, P.O. Box 3129, University Park, N.M. 88001.

Received for publication February 23, 1969. Accepted for publication March 27, 1970.