Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
343000
343
2-Dec-1972
IBC, GGC
Wright Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region
Soil weathering examination
USGS 1:50,000 Antarctic Topo. Ser. Labyrinth Quadrangle
B&W Lsc
No
160.8170
-77.5667
77deg 34.0'S
-160deg -49.0'E
South side of the Labyrinth, upper Wright Valley; a soil from a salty basin in one of the dissected channelways
0
Nil
775
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(0o)
A moist site with wet soil
-25
Central Mountain
Sandy clayey alluvium/colluvium
Nil observed
Nil
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
Surface salt efflorescences
Nil
343a 0-5cm
101
brown to dark brown to yellowish red (7.5YR 4/4 - 5YR 4/6) silty sandy gravel
102
diffuse salts precipitated at the soils surface
103
slightly sticky
104
moderately cohesive
105
silty clay coatings on many rock particles
106
rock particles subangular, unstained and unaltered but partly crumbly
Yes
a
0
3
Geoland
| The Labyrinth is a fossil erosional landscape with a complex geomorphic and glacial history; there is scarcely any till in the channelised landscape but there are |
| accumulations of slope debris and wind drift materials; some parts of the landscape have no external drainage and salts accumulate in small basins |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
34300001
66.00
31.40
32.50
14.30
1.50
1.20
1.40
17.00
0.53
34300001
5.40
18.50
1.60
11.70
1.60
21.10
3.20
8.40
34300001
12-Dec-2005
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