Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
352000
352
6-Dec-1972
IBC, GGC
Wright Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region, Asgard range
Soil weathering examination
USGS 1:50,000 Antarctic Topo. Ser. Labyrinth Quadrangle
CS Lsc
No
160.9720
-77.6000
77deg 36.0'S
-160deg -58.3'E
| On the S side of Wright Valley in Sessrumnir Valley, approximately 4km N of Mt Freya; on a strongly fractured bedrock sandstone pavement; the sample is from soil material |
| in a fracture between sandstone slabs |
0
Nil
1,525
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(0o)
The site is dry; snow sometimes accumulates in the rock cracks
-24
Central Mountain
Windblown sand; predominantly quartzitic but with 10% dolerite sand grains
Nil observed but endolithic algae widely present in sandstone outcrops nearby
Nil; horizontal rock fragmentation pattern is a result of patterned ground type processes
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
Rock surfaces are polished and oxidised and strongly wind fluted with wind ripple marks; leading edges are strongly abraded
Nil
352a 0-10cm
101
very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sand
102
moderately cohesive
103
strongly developed vesicular structure
104
rock particles mainly rounded and weakly stained
Yes
a,b
10
4
(>10cm)
Geoland
| Flat bedded Beacon Sandstone is exposed without a till cover in places; cryic freeze/thaw weathering processes results in horizontal and vertical fragmentation |
| of the sandstone with tabular blocks moving apart by wedging processes; sandy detritus in cracks is the only soil material developed on these wind swept |
| surfaces |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
35200001
97.00
22.70
46.30
24.00
0.90
0.20
1.40
4.20
0.27
35200002
35200001
6.30
0.30
2.10
0.60
0.80
0.50
0.80
1.50
0.90
35200002
thenardite
35200001
35200002
12-Dec-2005
Page 309 of 896
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