Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
497000
497
12-Jan-1983
IBC, GGC
Convoy Range, Trans- antarctic Mountains, in the valley of the Northwind Glacier
Soil characterisation
B&W & CS Pro & Lscp
No
159.9580
-76.7567
76deg 45.4'S
-159deg -57.5'E
| Approximately 8.5km WSW of Larsen Crag, on a moraine mound on the W side of a broad shallow valley, possibly formed by retreat of an earlier inland invasion of ice from |
| the Northwind glacier |
4
NE
1,350
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
| Xerous; numerous small pockets of snow with some thawing and moistening of the soil |
| surface in places |
-27
Central mountain
Till derived from dolerite and Beacon Group sediments with occasional granite boulders
Occasional patches of yellow lichen in exfoliation cracks
Moderately developed nets; weakly active; 30cm deep snow- filled borders
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
cf. Notes for SURFWEA below
Nil
497a 5-0cm
101
surface cobbles, pebbles and granular sand
102
rounded and wind faceted
103
moderately polished and stained,
497b 0-2cm
201
light brown to brown (7.5YR 6/4-5/4) granular sand
202
weakly cohesive with a moderately developed surface crust
203
weakly developed vesicular structure
204
rock particles subrounded to subangular, moderately stained and moderately altered
205
sharp boundary,
497c 2-5cm
301
brown (7.5YR 5/4) pebbly, granular sand
302
moderately cohesive
303
salts occurring in patches
304
some larger rock particles disaggregated forming ghosts with salt accumulations in rock cleavages
305
rock particles mainly subangular, moderately stained and moderately to weakly altered
306
distinct boundary,
497d 5-35cm
401
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6 dry) sandy boulder to granule gravel
402
moderately cohesive and moist
403
rock particles subrounded to subangular, weakly stained and weakly altered
404
sharp boundary,
497e 35-42cm
501
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6 moist) frozen ground
502
extremely hard
503
rock particles subangular to subrounded, weakly to moderately stained and weakly altered
Yes
a,b,c,d,e
Hard ice-cemented
35
3
(35cm)
Geoland
| Northwind Glacier is a southwestward extension of the Fry Glacier and formerly occupied most of the Northwind Valley; within Northwind Valley, dolerite and |
| Beacon group sediments outcrop but there are no known granites; valley floor tills contain appreciable amounts of granite, including the distinctive pink |
| coloured Irizar, indicating a source outside the immediate area |
Surfwea
| A moderately deflated pebble pavement surface with few upstanding boulders; harder dolerite boulders rounded to subrounded and wind faceted with wind |
| ripples on sublevel surfaces; moderately to strongly stained and polished; coarse dolerite boulders disaggregated; granite erratics crumbling and disaggregating |
| above ground level but firmer below; salts beneath some stones |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
49700001
49700002
76.00
35.00
25.00
15.00
5.00
5.00
8.00
7.00
0.28
49700003
70.00
38.00
20.00
11.00
5.00
7.00
13.00
6.00
0.27
49700004
48.00
47.00
23.00
12.00
5.00
4.00
6.00
3.00
0.20
49700005
61.00
52.00
19.00
10.00
4.00
4.00
7.00
3.00
0.24
49700001
49700002
7.90
1.06
4.80
1.40
1.00
0.05
0.01
6.60
0.35
49700003
7.90
5.24
5.20
5.20
1.50
0.08
0.01
9.90
0.40
49700004
8.50
2.98
2.20
0.52
0.72
0.05
0.05
1.90
1.10
49700005
8.70
0.46
2.80
0.08
0.17
0.03
0.05
0.94
0.50
49700001
49700002
80
5
5
5
5
49700003
100
49700004
85
5
5
5
49700005
90
5
5
12-Dec-2005
Page 455 of 896
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