Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
397000
397
25-Nov-1977
IBC, GGC
Wright Valley at the Western end in the Asgard Range, at the NE end of Koenig Valley, approximately 2km NW of Mt Freya
Soil weathering examination
USGS, Antarctica 1:50,000 Topo. Ser. 1977 Labyrinth Antarctica
Nil
No
160.8000
-77.6000
77deg 36.0'S
-160deg -48.0'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
0
Nil
1,440
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(0o)
The soil is moist
-30
Inland Mountain
Granular doleritic gravel
Nil observed
Weakly developed broad nets
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
A well developed dolerite pavement surface but with clasts slightly depressed in soft ground; surface clasts weakly to moderately oxidised but strongly |
altered |
Nil
397a 0-5cm
101
dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) granular gravel
102
moist
103
weakly cohesive
104
rock particles strongly stained and strongly altered
105
indistinct boundary,
397b 5-6cm
201
dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) granular sand
202
moist,
Yes
a,b
0
4
Descr
A flat surface in a depression at the northern end of the floor of Koenig Valley with some very slightly raised patches; a completely enclosed basin and salty |
hollow; the site is near soil 396 and at a patterned ground crack where dolerite clasts predominate; samples were collected at differing points along a small |
transect through a patterned ground crack; this sample site is where dolerite particles are coarser |
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; |
hollows or enclosed basins are found in many locations, often behind a ridge of moraine; they are commonly salty having slowly accumulated salts over a very |
long time; the salts in these basins provide clues to Antarctic geochemical history; where dolerite predominates, the soils have much browner colours; the soil |
colours differ with differing particle size grades |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
39700001
39700002
39700001
39700002
39700001
39700002
12-Dec-2005
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