Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
384000
384
21-Nov-1977
IBC, GGC
Wright Valley at the Western end in the Asgard Range, at the SW end of Koenig Valley, approximately 0.8km SE of Mt Thor
Soil weathering examination
USGS, Antarctica 1:50,000 Topo. Ser. 1977 Labyrinth Antarctica
CS Lscp
No
160.7500
-77.6050
77deg 36.3'S
-160deg -45.0'E
A slightly lower elevation moraine surface at the foot of a prominent moraine lobe that marks an earlier distinct ice advance; an uneven patterned ground covered surface
0
Nil
1,600
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(0o)
Recent 3 cm snowfall with some thawing and water films on rock surfaces and some |
moistening of the soil surface |
-30
Inland Mountain
Doleritic till that may have been pre-weathered
Nil observed
Well developed with cracks up to 1m deep
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Surface boulders moderately rounded and up to 75cm with some fracturing and fragmentation; moderate surface oxidation with patchy reddish oxidation; |
few salts beneath some surface clasts |
Nil
384a 2-0cm
101
surface boulders, cobbles and granular gravel
102
rounded to subrounded and mostly distinctly stained
103
some weak exfoliation
104
some smaller particles are distinctly altered,
384b 0-10cm
201
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy gravel
202
loose
203
rock particles mainly sub rounded with some moderately stained and partly altered
204
sharp boundary,
384c 10-15cm
301
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy gravel
302
weakly cohesive and weakly developed vesicular structure
303
larger rock particles mainly angular and unstained but smaller particles stained and partly altered
304
indistinct boundary
305
384d 15-30cm
401
brown to dark brown (10YR 4/3) sandy gravel
402
weakly cohesive
403
few fine salt flecks
404
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles subrounded partly stained and altered
405
sharp boundary,
384e 30-31cm
501
dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) sandy gravel ice cemented ground
502
rock particles subrounded to subangular, moderately stained and altered
503
sharp boundary, on ice
Yes
a,b,c,d,e
Stagnant ice
30
2
(30cm)
Geoland
The Asgard Range is comprised of Beacon Sandstone and Ferrar Dolerite; the landscape is ancient with the high altitude valley cirques cut in pre Miocene time; |
subsequent glaciation has been restricted mainly to valley head cirque type activity; the glacial deposits represent accumulations of local head wall materials |
which have probably been weathered in place before incorporation into local glaciers; differences in moraine topography are accompanied by differences in soils |
on the differing surfaces this surface is the third oldest geomorphic surface |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
38400001
17.00
38400002
81.00
38400003
66.00
38400004
67.00
38400005
72.00
38400006
38400001
38400002
38400003
38400004
38400005
38400006
38400001
38400002
38400003
38400004
38400005
38400006
12-Dec-2005
Page 341 of 896
384