Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
455000
455
12-Dec-1979
IBC, GGC
West Antarctica in Ellsworth Land at the southern end of the Ellsworth Mountains
Soil weathering examination
US Geological Survey, 1:250 000, 1967, Union Glacier
CS Pro
No
-81.9333
-79.9083
79deg 54.5'S
81deg 56.0'E
The Enterprise Hills region of the Ellsworth Mountains; north of Parrish Peak near the head of a small valley to the south of Seal Glacier; on a small knoll
4
NE
1,025
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
Scattered snow patches but site is dry with no sign of soil moistening
-20
Inland/Coastal Mountain
Bouldery till from quartzitic metasedimentary rocks, some greenish, blackish and brown
Nil observed
Nil
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
cf. Notes for SURFWEA below
Nil
455a 4-0cm
101
surface pebbles cobbles and boulders
102
many moderately stained
103
some carbonate encrustations on undersides
104
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
455b 0-2cm
201
very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy to silty gravel
202
weakly cohesive
203
weakly developed vesicular structure
204
rock particles subrounded to subangular with slight to moderate staining and some surface alteration
205
distinct boundary,
455c 2-16cm
301
very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy to silty gravel with some patchy oxidation
302
weakly cohesive
303
rock particles mainly subangular to subrounded and unstained
304
distinct boundary,
455d 16-30cm
401
white (10YR 8/2) bouldery sandy to silty gravel
402
weakly cohesive
403
weakly vesicular
404
some small diffuse salt flecks
405
rock particles subrounded to subangular and non stained
406
indistinct boundary,
455e 30-60cm
501
white (10YR 8/2 - 8/1) very bouldery sandy to silty gravel
502
loose
503
boulders mainly subrounded with smaller particles subangular and unstained
504
indistinct boundary,
455f 60-70cm
601
white (10YR 8/2 - 8/1) very bouldery sandy to silty gravel
602
loose
Yes
a,b,c,d,e,f,g
Dry frozen
70
3
(>70cm)
Geoland
The Ellsworth Mountains comprise a thick sequence of folded metasedimentary rocks comprising limestones, conglomerates and quartzites dating to |
Precambrian; the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is believed to have fluctuated greatly in response to global sea level changes and evidence of these fluctuations should |
be present in the tills and soil weathering record; at this site, the till represents deposits of the Union Glacier at a former level |
Surfwea
Some rounding of surface cobbles and boulders; a moderately developed pebble pavement; some surface disintegration and spalling and some wind scoops |
around larger boulders; upper surfaces distinctly stained; salts beneath some clasts and also calcium carbonate deposits |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
45500001
4.00
45500002
40.00
32.70
18.70
14.20
15.80
5.20
9.70
3.20
0.30
45500003
49.70
35.80
20.30
15.60
7.20
6.00
11.50
3.20
0.30
45500004
26.00
44.90
18.70
13.30
6.60
1.70
11.90
2.50
0.30
45500005
19.20
47.30
17.00
12.10
5.80
4.40
10.80
2.30
0.20
45500006
12.20
43.10
18.40
13.40
6.20
4.70
11.10
2.90
0.20
45500007
45500001
45500002
7.90
1.10
1.68
5.60
0.70
0.08
0.05
7.29
0.04
45500003
8.20
1.20
1.40
6.90
0.56
0.10
0.02
11.96
0.03
45500004
8.20
1.10
2.00
5.60
0.74
0.10
0.02
7.02
0.04
45500005
8.00
1.10
1.11
7.80
0.44
0.07
0.02
10.92
0.02
45500006
8.00
1.20
1.22
7.80
0.47
0.08
0.02
10.83
0.02
45500007
thenardite, trace gypsum
45500001
45500002
90
5
5
45500003
95
3
2
45500004
95
2
3
45500005
90
3
2
3
2
45500006
85
3
5
5
4
45500007
12-Dec-2005
Page 412 of 896
455