Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
146000
146
23-Jan-1965
IBC, GGC
Victoria Land, Trans-antarctic Mountains; in Upper Victoria Valley, part of the McMurdo Sound Dry Valley system
Soil characterisation
USGS 1:250 000 1986; Ross Island and Vicinity, Antarctica
No
161.4170
-77.3517
77deg 21.1'S
-161deg -25.0'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
3
S
600
Small fans have formed as a result of rapid thaw of valley side snow or ice accumulations in nevees which, for a short period, provide a source of water to transport sediment
(3o)
Xerous to subxerous; the site is dry with little available moisture; frozen ground is deeper, |
suggesting that the site may be drier than site 145 |
23
Central mountain
Colluvial sands and fine gravels of mixed lithology, possibly including reworked till
Nil observed
Weakly developed, non active nets
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Well developed pebble pavement with weak surface staining; wind abrasion has formed ventifacts; some yellowish brown calcium carbonate crusts beneath |
some stones and also some salt accumulations |
Nil
1-0cm
101
surface pebbles, granules and loose sand
102
weakly stained,
146a 0-4cm
201
very pale brown (10YR 7/4) pebbly granular sand
202
moderately cohesive forming a distinct surface crust
203
moderately developed vesicular structure with coarse particles bound by silt/clay films
204
a few fine salt flecks
205
rock particles rounded to subrounded and weakly to moderately stained
206
distinct boundary,
146b 4-23cm
301
dark greyish brown (10YR 4/2) layered pebbly granular sand
302
loose
303
rock particles mainly rounded to subrounded and moderately stained with some moderately altered
304
distinct boundary
146c 23-72cm
401
brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) granular sand
402
loose
403
rock particles rounded to subrounded and moderately stained
404
sharp boundary, on frozen ground
Yes
a,b,c
Hard ice-cemented
72
3
(72cm)
Descr
on the lower slopes of Barwick Valley, approximately 6.5km E of lake Vashka; a low angle fan surface formed below a shallow gully cut in the north side of the |
Barwick Valley; the site is on the upper part of the fan surface where the soil profiles appear to show greater development |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
14600001
146a
0-3cm
0
3
none
14600002
146b
8-15cm
8
15
none
14600003
146c
30-40cm
30
40
none
12-Dec-2005
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