Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
523000
523
4-Jan-1988
IBC, GGC
Convoy Range, Transantarctic Mountains; Alatna Valley
Soil weathering examination and permafrost examination
Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986
CS Lscp
No
161.0500
-76.9083
76deg 54.5'S
-161deg -3.0'E
Approximately 2km east of Battleship Promontory; on the lower south slope of Alatna Valley; 20m below the crest of a minor moraine ridge on the valley side; the site is 6m |
from site 522 at the edge of the polygon |
4
N
925
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(4o)
Occasional summer snowfalls; site is dry with no adjacent snow patches
-28
Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous
Sandy gravel derived from sandstone, dolerite and some granite
Some lichen in cracks in boulders
Weakly developed broad hummocky nets
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
cf. Notes for SURFWEA below
Nil
523 0-20cm
201
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly sand (66% <2mm)
202
weakly cohesive
203
rock particles subangular with small particles subrounded
204
sharp boundary,
523 3-0cm
101
surface pebbly to bouldery gravel
102
clasts dominantly subangular to subrounded and weakly to moderately stained,
523a-f 20-143cm
301
drill core
302
sandy gravel with 10cm ice lenses
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
20
3
(20cm)
Geoland
Alatna Valley has formed through ice recession from the Benson Glacier and ice from Staten Island Heights; the local rocks are extensive Beacon Sandstone |
outcrops capped with Ferrar Dolerite; the tills include granites and gneissic rocks which occur nearer the coast and indicate ice movement from the east |
Surfwea
Some dolerite weakly pitted; exfoliation and spalling are active; some cavernous weathering; boulders moderately stained and slightly rounded; a bouldery |
surface with some clasts upstanding; a weakly developed pavement with some ventiforms; some clasts with thick salt accumulations beneath |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
52300001
52300002
52300003
52300004
52300005
52300006
52300001
52300002
52300003
52300004
52300005
52300006
52300001
52300002
52300003
52300004
52300005
52300006
12-Dec-2005
Page 481 of 896
523