Cambic and certain noncambic horizons in desert soils of southern New Mexico

TitleCambic and certain noncambic horizons in desert soils of southern New Mexico
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1966
AuthorsGile L.H
JournalSoil Science Society of America Proceedings
Volume30
Pagination773-781
Date Published1966
Call Number00506
Keywordsarticle, articles, geomorphology, classification, journal, journals, soil, argillic horizon, soil, cambic horizon, soil, classification, soil, genesis
AbstractIn a study area of southern New Mexico, horizons in the B position may be ordered in degrees of increasing development, and form and essentially continuous series closely related to age. No evidence of soil development is found in freshly deposited arroyo alluvium. Next in the development scale are horizons with some weak evidence of soil formation, but which are still too weakly developed to qualify as cabic horizons. With increasing age, cambic horizons and finally argillic horizons occur in the B position. The relationships of soil development to age are confounded in some older soils by such factors as soils truncation and soil mixing. Distinct cambic horizons have formed in soils that are less than about 5,000 years old. In various cambric horizons there has been sufficient alteration of the original parent material to destroy fine strata, form structure, develop redder color, redistribute carbonate, and accumulate slight amounts of silicate clay. Cambic horizons of old, polygenetic soils show evidence of prefound change in the B position since deposition of the parent materials and the start of soil formation. Argillic horizons apparently formed in some soils and were alter destroyed. some soils once had much thicker B horizons than they now have. The present climate of this desert regions is arid, but evidence of former glaciation and lakes indicates a climatic change. The present climate is apparently warmer and drier than the climates of Pleistocene pluvials. Soils formed mainly in the Pleistocene tend to have thicker, stronger horizons than do soils formed in the Recent; this is apparently caused in part by the Pleistocene pluvial climates.