Brownfield, Texas
| Brownfield, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Brownfield, Texas |
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| Coordinates: 33°10′47″N 102°16′15″W / 33.17972°N 102.27083°WCoordinates: 33°10′47″N 102°16′15″W / 33.17972°N 102.27083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Terry |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.3 sq mi (16.4 km2) |
| • Land | 6.3 sq mi (16.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,310 ft (1,009 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 9,657 |
| • Density | 1,500/sq mi (590/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 79316 |
| Area code(s) | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-10720 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1352989 |
Brownfield is a city in Terry County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,657 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Terry County 39 miles southwest of Lubbock.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Brownfield has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16 km2), of which 0.32% is covered by water.
Brownfield lies in the center of Terry County, within the southern portion of the South Plains and Llano Estacado. The city rests on a windblown deposit called the Blackwater Draw Formation, which is underlain by a thick layer of caliche, referred to locally as the "Caprock". Beneath the caliche layer lies fluvial deposits called the Ogallala Formation, which contains a portion of the vast Ogallala Aquifer. The Caprock Escarpment, about 50 miles east, forms a rather precipitous drop of about 1,000 feet (305 m) and exposes various geologic layers. In early days, climbing the Caprock Escarpment was not easy for horse-drawn covered wagons.
The only terrain variation lies at the south end of the city, where Lost Draw carves a channel that runs across the entire county. Lost Draw formed over 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age when the climate of the area was much wetter. When the vast glaciers of the north retreated, they left numerous dry river channels crisscrossing the Llano Estacado. When settlers during the 1800s ventured across this area, they often went into these channels expecting to find water; however, unless significant rains had occurred recently, their search was in vain, with many of the parties becoming "lost", hence the name, Lost Draw.
The most notable geographic feature of Brownfield remains its red soil. The soil creates an almost iridescent red color during sunrise and sunset due to the high iron oxide content.
Brownfield lies in a semiarid temperate zone, where high winds and extreme temperature variations are the norm. The summers reach over 100°F (38°C) for multiple consecutive days. The winters often fall below freezing for extended periods, but snow remains unusual due to very little precipitation forming in the winter months.
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Wikipedia