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Holocene Soils and Soil-Geomorphic Relations in an Arid Region of Southern New Mexico1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Leland H. Gile
Leland H. Gile*
Affiliation:
Soil Survey Investigations, Soil Conservation Service, Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas 79409 USA
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Abstract

A study area in an arid region of southern New Mexico is in basin-and-range topography and includes both a river valley and a closed basin. Holocene soils occur in valley fills and low terraces between Pleistocene fans, in and near drainageways on the fan-piedmont, on ridges, and in dunes. Holocene soils suggest the character of initial development in soils that are much older and more complex, and record the beginnings of various soil horizons. Noncalcareous brown or reddish brown B horizons have formed in low-carbonate parent materials of stable sites. Incipient development of the argillic horizon and the Haplargids occurs at stable sites in very gravelly materials that are about 1–2000 yr old. The cambic horizon and Camborthids occur in adjacent low-gravel materials of the same age. The argillic horizon occurs continuously in soils of earliest Holocene, particularly in very gravelly materials. Where soils have been truncated, as in areas affected by landscape dissection, argillic and cambic horizons are usually absent and the soils are Torripsamments, Torriorthents, or Torrifluvents depending on content of sand, gravel, and organic carbon. In high-carbonate parent materials, noncalcareous, reddish brown B horizons have not formed at any time in the Holocene. Most of these soils are Torriorthents or Torrifluvents although an incipient calcic horizon has formed in some of the oldest Holocene soils; the latter are Calciorthids. Horizons of carbonate accumulation are the best and most common pedogenic indicators of soil age. Stage I carbonate horizons are a major feature of pedogenesis in the Holocene. Because of additions of carbonate from the atmosphere, carbonate horizons are morphologically similar whether they have formed in high or low-carbonate alluvium. The carbonate accumulations are illuvial.

Some Holocene deposits apparently resulted from changes in climate. Others, such as the youthful deposits of coppice dunes, apparently were caused by man's introduction of cattle and subsequent overgrazing and seed dispersal.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , September 1975 , pp. 321 - 360
Copyright
University of Washington

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Footnotes

1

Presented July 31, 1974 at the third biennial meeting of the American Quaternary Association, Madison, Wisconsin.

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