Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
465000
465
14-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 Lscp
No
-80.9750
-79.8000
79deg 48.0'S
80deg 58.5'E
Meyer Hills in the southeast of the Heritage Range, approximately 1km northeast of Beaudoin Peak on a narrow rocky ridge; a cleft in the ridge
0
Nil
875
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
No moisture seen at the site
-25
Inland/Coastal Mountain
Fragmented greywacke/argillite; fines possibly windblown
Nil observed
Nil
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
Rock outcrops fragmented with patchy surface staining; carbonate encrustations on some rocks
Nil
464a 0-3cm
101
pale yellow to light yellowish brown (2.5Y 7/4 - 6/4) granular gravel
102
moderately cohesive
103
moderately developed vesicular structure
104
many distinct calcium carbonate coatings on rock particles
105
| rock particles angular to subangular and dominantly unstained, 464b rock particles with whitish salt |
| precipitations and distinct thick calcium carbonate |
Yes
a,b
0
2
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; the Meyer Hills are predominantly quartzitic sandstones |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
46500001
63.10
46500002
46500001
7.40
0.74
0.16
2.12
0.26
0.11
0.03
1.46
0.02
46500002
calcite
46500001
46500002
55
5
5
5
25
5
12-Dec-2005
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