Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
301000
301
14-Nov-1972
IBC, GGC
East end of Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region
Soil characterisation
USGS 1:50,000 Antarctic Topo. Ser. Lake Fryxell Quadrangle
CS Lsc
No
163.4330
-77.6167
77deg 37.0'S
-163deg -26.0'E
On the south side of Taylor Valley, approximately 4km SE of the Commonwealth Glacier at the eastern end of the Kukri Hills; on a lower steep slope about 100m above the |
valley floor |
30
NW
350
Basement complex schistose and granite rocks outcrop on valley side thin drift from Late Pleistocene Ross Glaciation ice advances into the valley partly covers the slopes;
(30o)
Soil dry but evidence of wetness; adjacent snow pockets and periodic summer snowfall
-20
Coastal Antarctic
Granitic gravel over older schistose gravel till, possibly as slope drift or solifluct
Nil observed
Minor solifluction terracetts
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
A few fine surface salt encrustations and carbonate coatings
Nil
301 7-0cm
101
surface pebbles and cobbly sand
102
subangular and weakly stained,
301a 0-25cm
201
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy gravel
202
moderately cohesive and frozen moderately developed vesicular structure
203
some thick carbonate coatings and some silt coatings
204
rock particles angular and dominantly unstained
205
distinct boundary,
301b 25-38cm
301
pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy gravel
302
moderately cohesive to firm and frosted
303
moderately developed vesicular structure
304
some thick carbonate coatings and some silt coatings
305
rock particles subangular and some weakly stained
306
indistinct boundary,
301c 38-65cm
401
pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy gravel
402
moderately cohesive to firm and frosted
403
moderately developed vesicular structure
404
a few thick carbonate coatings and some silt coatings
405
rock particles subangular and some weakly to moderately stained
406
sharp boundary, on hard frozen ground
Yes
a,b,c,d
Hard ice-cemented
65
2
(65cm)
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
30100001
58.00
30100002
32.00
30100003
35.00
30100001
30100002
30100003
30100001
30100002
30100003
12-Dec-2005
Page 258 of 896
301