Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
466000
466
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
-81.0250
-79.7833
79deg 47.0'S
81deg 1.5'E
| Meyer Hills in the southeast of the Heritage Range, approximately 2km northeast of Beaudoin Peak on the valley floor till; a small hollow which is partly damp; this soil is |
| unusual and appears to result perhaps from a redox reaction |
0
Nil
580
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
| Soil in the lowest horizon is moist; it is likely that the site may have been more moist in the |
| past |
-20
Inland/Coastal Mountain
Argillitic till
Nil observed
Nil
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
| Surface rocks are angular with a very tabular shaly form; there are many thick calcium carbonate coatings; the red subsoil at this site may represent some |
| unusual weathering conditions |
Nil
466a 0-5cm
101
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) granular gravel
102
loose
103
calcium carbonate coatings on rock surfaces
104
rock particles angular and unstained
105
distinct boundary,
466b 5-10cm
201
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/6) granular sand
202
moderately cohesive
203
moderately developed vesicular structure
204
distinct continuous clay-like coatings on many rock particles
205
rock particles angular and unstained
206
distinct boundary,
466c 10-15cm
301
yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy granular gravel
302
moderately cohesive
303
well developed vesicular structure
304
| rock particles angular and most with continuous red clay-like coatings but some coatings are bluish grey (5B 6/1) |
| with crystalline centres |
305
distinct boundary,
466d 15-20cm
401
greyish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy gravel
402
weakly cohesive
403
moist
404
many rock particles with yellow (10YR 7/8) clay like coatings
Yes
a,b,c,d
20
2
(>20cm)
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 |
46600002
76.00
16.10
21.40
23.60
11.40
7.40
7.70
5.50
6.70
46600001
33.10
63.70
16.20
9.10
2.80
0.90
1.70
4.70
0.60
46600003
68.10
8.30
18.90
26.40
13.20
9.40
8.80
7.30
7.10
46600004
65.00
20.30
20.60
19.60
10.20
8.40
6.60
9.70
4.10
46600002
4.80
0.09
0.05
0.82
0.08
0.03
0.02
0.39
0.04
46600001
7.30
0.30
0.28
1.30
0.26
0.05
0.02
1.54
46600003
3.90
0.10
0.04
0.35
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.42
0.00
46600004
6.60
0.17
0.14
0.95
0.13
0.02
0.02
0.96
0.01
466d adjacent to 466c
46600002
70
2
5
5
10
4
4
46600001
46600003
90
2
3
46600004
90
1
3
4
2
12-Dec-2005
Page 423 of 896
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