Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
133000
133
17-Jan-1965
IBC, GGC
Victoria Land, Trans-antarctic Mountains; in Barwick Valley, part of the McMurdo Sound Dry Valley system
Soil characterisation
USGS 1:250 000 1986; Ross Island and Vicinity, Antarctica
CS Lscp & Pro
No
161.4500
-77.4233
77deg 25.4'S
-161deg -27.0'E
On the floor of McKelvey Valley, a little to the West of it's junction with Bull Pass; approximately 12km SE from Lake Vashka and 8 km SW of Lake Vida; the surface is a |
broad till plain of very low relief with low scattered boulders |
0
Nil
875
Tills in this part of McKelvey Valley were mapped by Calkin (1964) as Bull and Insel Drift; the site is on Insel Drift which is considered by Calkin to have originated from |
eastward flowing ice |
(0o)
Xerous to subxerous; a dry site but with occasional small snow patches
-24
Central mountains
Insel Drift till, containing much sandy/silty rock flour like material
Nil observed
A stable surface with old subdued inactive patterned ground
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Marked fragmentation, abrasion and cavernous weathering of surface boulders; sandstones are strongly stained and dolerite rocks moderately stained; the |
surface is soft and has a well developed pebble pavement with many well formed ventifacts |
Nil
133a 0-1cm
201
pale brown (10YR 6/3) pebbly silty sand
202
moderately cohesive
203
strongly developed vesicular structure
204
rock particles mainly subrounded and weakly stained but some moderately altered
205
distinct boundary,
133b 1-10cm
301
light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) cobbly silty sand
302
moderately cohesive
303
salt flecks diffused through the horizon
304
rock particles mainly subrounded and weakly stained but some particles strongly altered
305
indistinct boundary,
133c 10-30cm
401
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) cobbly silty sand
402
weakly cohesive
403
scattered salts
404
rock particles subrounded and weakly stained
405
distinct boundary,
133d 30-75cm
501
light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) cobbly silty sand merging to light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2)
502
scattered salts
503
moderately cohesive
504
rock particles mainly subrounded and unstained
505
sharp boundary, on frozen ground
2-0cm
101
surface pebbles, granules and coarse sand
102
mainly subrounded and moderately stained,
Yes
a,b,c,d
Dry frozen over hard ice-cemented
75
3
(75cm)
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
13300001
133a
0-1cm
0
1
none
13300002
133b
1-8cm
1
8
none
13300003
133c
12-20cm
12
20
none
13300004
133d
30-35cm
30
35
none
12-Dec-2005
Page 133 of 896
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