Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
526000
526
6-Jan-1988
IBC, GGC
Convoy Range, Transantarctic Mountains; Alatna Valley
Soil weathering examination
Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986
CS Lscp
No
161.0330
-76.9083
76deg 54.5'S
-161deg -2.0'E
At the western end of Alatna Valley and approximately 2km east of Battleship Promontory; the site is in a patterned ground crack where wind-blown sand is accumulating
0
Nil
900
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(0o)
Local snow patches but no water or soil moistening observed
-28
Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous
Windblown largely pre-weathered sand derived from fretting and abrasion of local rocks
Nil observed
Moderately developed nets; 50cm deep active cracks containing boulders and sand accumulations
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
| Boulders up to 1m are moderately rounded and stained; some show distinct exfoliation; movement of boulders into the patterned ground cracks is active; |
| windblown sand is also accumulating |
Nil
526a 0-3cm
101
dark brown (7.5YR 3/20 granular coarse sand
102
loose
103
| quartz particles rounded and unstained, dolerite particles subrounded to rounded, strongly stained and many |
| distinctly altered from pre-weathering |
Yes
a
0
1
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 high sand content may be due to incorporation of wind-blown sand from erosion of adjacent dolerite and sandstone |
| outcrops |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
52600001
94.00
69.30
27.50
2.20
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.30
0.30
52600001
7.30
0.07
52600001
12-Dec-2005
Page 484 of 896
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