Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
524000
524
5-Jan-1988
IBC, GGC
Convoy Range, Transantarctic Mountains; Alatna Valley
Soil biological examination
Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986
CS Lscp
No
160.9670
-76.8967
76deg 53.8'S
-160deg -58.0'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
2
W-Nil
875
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(2o; 4o-0o)
| The floor of the depression is wet; the soil becomes progressively less moist with increasing |
| distance from the flat floor |
-28
Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous
Sandy gravel till modified by pond hydrological variations
| Nil observed; the samples were collected to see if there was any evidence of a biological activity gradient between the moist floor and the adjacent drier toe |
| slopes |
Nil
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
| Salts are precipitated on the floor of the moist depression; on the slope immediately adjacent to the depression floor, the soil is very spongy; this may be due |
| to a high salt content |
The site was visited in 1983; a soil pit was still very evident
524a 0-5cm
101
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 5/4) sandy gravel 5m from the edge of the depression floor,
524b 0-5cm
201
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 5/4) sandy gravel at the top of the spongy area
202
moderately cohesive
203
moderately developed surface crust,
524c 0-5cm
301
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy gravel at the lower edge of the soft spongy area
302
moderately developed surface crust,
524d 0-5cm
401
olive brown (2.5Y 6/4 moist) sandy gravel
402
salts precipitated at the soil surface
Yes
0
3
Descr
| On the floor of the western end of Alatna Valley and north of Battleship Promontory; a low salty hollow in the valley floor; the samples were collected in a |
| sequence from the drier soil surface just above the wet edge of the hollow, 5m from the wet edge and onto the wet floor |
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; some |
| hollows may be kettle holes |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
52400002
52400001
52400003
52400004
52400002
52400001
52400003
52400004
52400002
52400001
52400003
52400004
12-Dec-2005
Page 482 of 896
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