LOCATION CHAPEL             TX

CHAPEL SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Udic Calciusterts

TYPICAL PEDON: Chapel clay, midway between microknoll and microdepression, 0.2 percent slope in playa basin at an elevation of about 2,890 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; hard, firm; very sticky and very plastic; many fine and very fine roots; cracks 2 inches wide at the surface extend through the horizon; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bw--5 to 14 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common medium pores; cracks 2 inches wide extend through the horizon; few distinct pressure faces on ped surfaces; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

Bkss1--14 to 24 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; strong medium and coarse wedge-shaped aggregates parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; cracks 1 inch wide extend through the horizon; common distinct slickensides; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; few nodules of calcium carbonate, about 3 percent; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 24 inches thick)

Bkss2--24 to 35 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium and coarse wedge-shaped aggregates parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; cracks 0.5 inch wide extend through the horizon; common distinct slickensides; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; common medium faint dark brown (10YR 4/3) masses of iron accumulation on ped surfaces; few nodules of calcium carbonate, about 4 percent; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)

2Bk1--35 to 59 inches; white (2.5Y 8/1) clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common medium pores; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation on ped surfaces; many masses and concretions of calcium carbonate, about 40 percent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)

2Bk2--59 to 80 inches; white (2.5Y 8/1) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; sticky and plastic; common medium faint very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation on ped surfaces; many masses and concretions of calcium carbonate, about 35 percent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Lynn county, Texas; from the intersection of Farm Road 2053 and Farm Road 1054, 10.4 miles east of O'Donnell, then 2.5 miles east on County Road, 0.7 miles north on private road, then 220 feet east in playa basin; Latitude: 33 degrees, 59 minutes, 01 seconds N; Longitude: 101 degrees, 36 minutes, 17 seconds W; Indian Canyon NE, Texas USGS quad; NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on udic. The soil cracks and is dry more than 90 but less than 150 cumulative days in normal years. July through August and November through March are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through October and April through June. These soils receive runoff and the soil moisture control section is moist for longer periods than that of the surrounding upland soils.
Mean annual soil temperature: 60 to 65 degrees F.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 5 to 30 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon: 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to slickensides: 4 to 20 inches.
Solum thickness: more than 80 inches.
Particle-size control section: 40 to 50 percent silicate clay.
This is a cyclic soil and undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microknolls 5 to 10 inches higher than microdepressions. Distance between the center of the microknoll and the center of the microdepression is about 5 to 15 feet. The microknoll makes up about 25 percent, the intermediate, or area between the knoll and depression, about 50 percent, and the microdepression about 25 percent. Cracks open and close each year except during higher than normal rainfall years, and remain open less than 150 cumulative days during most years. When dry, 0.4 to 3 inch wide cracks extend from the surface to a depth of 40 inches or more. Cracks are more prominent in the microdepressions. COLE greater than 0.07. Where redox features exceed 3 percent, they occur in less than 25 percent of each pedon. The range in characteristics represents 50 percent or more of each pedon unless otherwise stated.

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: clay
Visible calcium carbonate: ranges from 0 to 2 percent as threads and concretions
Redoximorphic accumulations: none or few
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: clay
Visible calcium carbonate: ranges from 0 to 2 percent as threads and concretions
Redoximorphic accumulations: none or few
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

Bss horizons: (where present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: clay
Visible calcium carbonate: ranges from 0 to 2 percent as threads and concretions
Redoximorphic accumulations: none or few
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

Bkss horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist,
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: clay
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 40 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: 3 to 50 percent as threads, films, masses, and concretions.
Redoximorphic accumulations: none to few
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

2Bk horizons: (where present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: clay, clay loam, loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Visible calcium carbonate: 3 to 50 percent as threads, films, masses, and concretions.
Redoximorphic accumulations: none to common.
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Frelsburg and the Latium series. Similar soils also include the Cedarlake, Lazbuddie, Lockney, McLean, Ranco, Randall, Sparenberg, and Yellowlake series.
Frelsburg and Latium series: have ochric epipedons and are formed in weakly cemented calcareous clays and marls of Tertiary age.
Cedarlake and Yellowlake series: have a sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) greater than 13.
Lazbuddie series: does not have a calcic horizon within a depth of 40 inches and has cracks that remain open for 150 to 210 cumulative days during most years.
Lockney series: does not have a calcic horizon within a depth of 60 inches and has cracks that remain open for 150 to 210 cumulative days during most years.
McLean and Sparenberg series: have 50 to 60 percent clay in the particle-size control section and do not have a calcic horizon.
Ranco and Randall series: have aquic conditions and do not have a calcic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey lacustrine sediments of Quaternary age.
Landform: in playas 5 to 50 feet below the surrounding plain and range in size from 5 to more than 50 acres.
Slopes: range from 0 to 1 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 58 to 63 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 20 inches.
Frost-free period: 200 to 220 days.
Elevation: 2,700 to 3,900 feet.
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 24 to 32.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Ranco and Sparenberg series and the Arch, Drake, Midessa, Pep, Posey, and Portales series.
Ranco and Sparenberg soils are on similar landscape positions but do not have a calcic horizon.
Arch, Midessa, Pep, and Portales soils are on slightly higher landscape positions and have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Drake soils are on eolian dunes and have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Posey soils are on higher landscape positions and have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Very slow permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on less than 1 percent slopes. These soils occasionally pond for brief to long periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland and some cropland. Many areas are planted to wheat in the fall and utilized for livestock pasture during the winter months. During dry years, some areas are cultivated to cotton or grain sorghum. Vegetation varies according to amount of water available. It includes western wheatgrass, buffalograss, blue grama, vine mesquite, Texas blueweed, kochia, western ragweed, cocklebur, sunflower, and mares-tail. Bur ragweed, sedges, spike rush, bushy knotweed, frog-fruit, and saltmarsh aster may occur in wetter areas. This soil has been correlated to the Playa (077CY027TX) range site in MLRA-77.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains of western Texas and eastern New Mexico (sub-MLRA-77C). The series is of minor extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: MLRA-77 Soil Survey; Lynn County, Texas; 1995.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Church and Randall series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon: 0 to 14 inches. (A, Bw horizons)
Cambic horizon: 5 to 14 inches. (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon: 35 to 80 inches. (2Bk1, 2Bk2 horizons)
Slickensides: 14 to 35 inches. (Bss and Bkss horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL sample number S94TX-305-002 (Lynn County, Texas).

Soil interpretations record: TX1298

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eight Edition, 1998.