Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
308000
308
18-Nov-1972
IBC, GGC
Taylor Dry Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region near Lake Bonney
Soil weathering examination
USGS 1:50,000 Antarctic Topo. Ser. Lake Bonney Quadrangle
B&W Pro & Lsc
No
162.4830
-77.6833
77deg 41.0'S
-162deg -29.0'E
Approximately 2.75km NW from the NE end of Lake Bonney, near the Matterhorn; at the edge of a small volcanic cone above a till covered bench
1
E
950
Volcanic cones occur in numerous places in Taylor Valley and range in age to 3.2my; they provide dating benchmarks for the glacial events as they postdate some glacial |
episodes; the volcanic deposits are principally small scoria cones rather than flows |
(1o)
A dry site; greater absorption of solar radiation results in warmer and drier soils at these sites
-23
Central Mountain
Black volcanic scoria forming a cinder cone with inclusions of bedrock granite
Nil observed
Nil
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
The scoria is fragmented mainly pebble to cobble sized and subrounded to subangular with little surface weathering features; some small granite boulder |
erratics have probably been transported by adjacent glaciers; salts beneath some surface stones |
Nil
308a 2-0cm
101
surface black scoria cobbles and pebbles and granitic granular sand
102
subangular to subrounded
103
unweathered and unstained,
308b 0-20cm
201
olive (5Y 5/4) pebbly sandy gravel
202
loose
203
a few salt accumulations round some clasts, fine fraction mainly quartzofeldspathic
204
some granite clasts slightly crumbly
205
basaltic clasts subrounded and unweathered distinct boundary,
308c 20-30cm
301
olive (5Y 4/3) basaltic gravel
302
loose
303
rock particles angular and unweathered
304
indistinct boundary,
308d 30-50cm
401
olive grey (5Y 4/2) basaltic bouldery gravel
Yes
B-D
Dry frozen
50
2
(>50cm)
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
30800001
100.00
30800002
82.00
30800003
37.00
30800004
35.00
30800005
30800006
30800001
30800002
30800003
30800004
30800005
30800006
halite
30800001
30800002
30800003
30800004
30800005
30800006
12-Dec-2005
Page 265 of 896
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