Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
431000
431
15-Nov-1978
IBC, GGC
Hatherton Glacier, Transantarctic Mountains
Soil weathering examination
United States Geological Survey 1966; 1:250,000 Turnstile Ridge, Antarctica
CP Pro & Lscp
No
155.1400
-79.8700
79deg 52.2'S
-155deg -8.4'E
To the north of an un-named peak (Pk 2421) to the SE of Turnstile Ridge and west of the head of the Hatherton Glacier on the floor of a big basin on a hummocky ice-cored |
young moraine surface; on the crest of a small moraine hummock |
0
Nil
2,000
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
Extensive snow but no thaw or soil moistening
-40
Inland Mountain
Young till from dolerite but with previously weathered accessions from higher and older surfaces
Nil observed
Hummocky patterned ground, 2-3m across with patterned ground cracks 50cm deep; the hummocky ground is indicative of stagnant ice just below the soil; |
the till merges into clear stagnant ice 15m to the north |
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Dolerite boulders up to 2m and many between 75cm and 25cm; most rocks are angular but strongly stained; exfoliation and rock fracturing is common
Nil
431a 3-0cm
101
surface pebbles, cobbles and boulders
102
subangular
103
moderaately stained
104
many smaller particles moderately altered,
431b 0-6cm
201
brown to yellowish brown (10YR 5/3 - 5/4) sandy gravel
202
loose
203
rock particles mainly subangular weakly to moderately stained and some moderately altered
204
sharp boundary, on stagnant ice
Yes
Stagnant ice
6
1
(6cm)
Geoland
Ferrar Dolerite outcrops on the high surfaces; the soils on the high surfaces show significant weathering and the tills on the lower surfaces probably include |
much reworked and pre weathered material; the lower moraine surfaces and sequences in the basin are complex and probably represent accumulations of detritus |
from slow differential retreat of local ice tongues |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
43100001
15.00
43100002
97.00
45.20
27.60
16.80
5.30
2.70
1.20
0.40
0.53
43100001
43100002
5.80
2.20
0.07
0.94
0.50
0.01
0.09
1.42
0.60
43100001
43100002
50
disordered clays
12-Dec-2005
Page 388 of 896
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