Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
536000
536
10-Jan-1988
IBC, GGC
Convoy Range, Transantarctic Mountains; Towle Valley
Soil biological examination
Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986
CS Lscp
No
161.8170
-76.6667
76deg 40.0'S
-161deg -49.0'E
| At the Northeastern end of the Towle Valley; on a low moraine ridge about 150m from the Towle Glacier; adjacent to a patterned ground crack; sample a from alongside a |
| boulder; ample b from a salty spot 75cm away |
0
Nil
900
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(0o)
| Recent snow cover shows evidence of widespread thaw; the soils are moist in places and |
| appear to be periodically wet; water occurs in some small pools; some snow in the patterned |
| ground crack |
-24
Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous
Bouldery dolerite till, possibly pre-weathered
Yellow lichens occur in patches; cyanobacteria in pools
Moderately developed net; 40cm deep crack with active boulder infilling
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
| Extensive bouldery surfaces with predominantly angular clasts; some boulders showing extensive spalling and fragmentation and some crumbling; patchy |
| staining may be relict; salts encrust undersides of many clasts, |
Nil
536a 0-4cm
101
soil not described
536b 0-4cm
201
soil not described
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
0
1
Geoland
| Towle Valley is formed almost entirely in dolerite; the tills, moraines and soils indicate a northeasterly retreat of the Towle Glacier from the valley; land surfaces |
| on the lower valley floor appear not to be very old; the tills may be rather old but may have been over-ridden by repeated incursions of the Towle Glacier into |
| the valley; a few granite clasts are present; there may have been some re-working of older tills |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
53600001
35.00
39.60
18.80
13.40
7.10
4.80
9.70
6.50
0.20
53600002
75.00
52.60
19.40
12.30
5.70
4.10
3.80
1.90
0.20
53600001
53600002
53600001
53600002
12-Dec-2005
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