The subsection elevation range is from about 300 feet up to 5261 feet on Asbestos Mountain. Mass wasting and fluvial erosion and deposition are the main geomorphic processes. The soils are mostly Lithic and shallow Typic Xerorthents, Lithic Xerochrepts, Haploxerolls, and Mollic Haploxeralfs. In badland areas at lower elevations, they are mostly shallow Typic Torriorthents and Typic Camborthids. The soils on alluvial fans are mostly Typic Torrifluvents, Torripsamments, Typic Toriorthents, and Typic Haplargids.
Carbonates accumulate in the soils.
They are well drained. The soil temperature regimes are mostly thermic. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 to 20 inches. Most of it is rain. The mean freeze-free period is about 200 to 275 days.