Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
541000
541
13-Jan-1988
IBC, GGC
Convoy Range, Transantarctic Mountains; Towle Valley
Permafrost examination
Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986
CS Lscp
No
160.7500
-76.6750
76deg 40.5'S
-160deg -45.0'E
On the floor of the Towle Valley, approximately 3km southwest of the Towle Glacier; to the NE of a large snowbank; an uneven, slightly terraced, bouldery surface
0
Nil
975
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(0o)
0
10.0
10/Jan/88:9am
surface
0
6.0
10/Jan/88:3pm
surface
0
-7.5
10/Jan/88:8pm
surface
0
10.0
10/Jan/88:12noon
surface
0
-8.0
10/Jan/88:12midnight
surface
1
9.0
10/Jan/88:3pm
1
-5.0
10/Jan/88:12midnight
1
6.0
10/Jan/88:12noon
1
6.0
10/Jan/88:9am
1
-2.0
10/Jan/88:8pm
5
3.5
10/Jan/88:3pm
5
0.5
10/Jan/88:8pm
5
5.0
10/Jan/88:9am
5
5.0
10/Jan/88:12noon
5
-3.0
10/Jan/88:12midnight
12
0.0
10/Jan/88:12midnight
12
3.0
10/Jan/88:9am
12
3.0
10/Jan/88:12noon
12
0.5
10/Jan/88:8pm
12
1.0
10/Jan/88:3pm
20
0.5
10/Jan/88:3pm
20
1.5
10/Jan/88:9am
20
2.0
10/Jan/88:12noon
20
0.5
10/Jan/88:8pm
20
0.5
10/Jan/88:12midnight
Some surface snow cover; recent snow fall with some surface soil moistening
-24
Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous
Stony dolerite till
Lichens present
Weakly developed nets; troughs up to 25cm deep
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Surface boulders mainly subangular to subrounded; weakly to moderately developed pavement; moderate surface oxidation with some very slight pitting; |
some surface exfoliation and fretting; salt encrustations on the undersides of some surface stones |
Nil
0-15cm
101
dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) sandy granular to bouldery gravel
102
very weakly cohesive
103
some silty to clayey coatings on rock particles
104
rock particles subangular to subrounded and moderately stained, some smaller particles partly altered
105
distinct boundary,
541a-i 15-141
201
drill core samples
202
not described
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
15
4
(15cm)
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; some soils are ice-cemented close to the ground surface |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
54100001
54100002
54100003
54100004
54100005
54100006
54100007
54100008
54100009
54100001
54100002
54100003
54100004
54100005
54100006
54100007
54100008
54100009
54100001
54100002
54100003
54100004
54100005
54100006
54100007
54100008
54100009
12-Dec-2005
Page 499 of 896
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