Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
546000
546
17-Jan-1988
IBC, GGC
Taylor Valley region, Transantarctic Mountains
Soil weathering examination
Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986
CS Pro
No
161.0680
-77.8505
77deg 51.0'S
-161deg -4.1'E
New Valley, approximately 1.5km northwest of New Mountain on the south side of the upper Taylor Glacier; in a narrow high valley on the valley floor; on a ridge between |
Arena Valley and New Valley on an outcrop of dolerite |
0
Nil
1,600
Dolerite and sandstone outcrop on ridges; the lower part of New Valley has granitic till with the granite diminishing in abundance further up the valley; the granite has come |
from a down-valley source |
(0o)
Xerous to subxerous; occasional light summer snow falls with some brief slight surface soil |
moistening |
-30
Central Mountain
Sandy to silty till from dolerite, sandstone and granite with possible paleosol
Nil observed
Nil
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Well developed pebble/cobble pavement with no upstanding boulders; moderately to strongly stained and polished surface rocks; moderately ventiformed |
and some pitting; some advanced boulder disaggregation |
Nil
546a 3-0cm
101
surface pebbles and cobbles
102
strongly developed pavement
103
clasts subrounded and ventiformed
104
moderately to strongly stained and polished,
546b 0-5cm
201
brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy pebble and cobble gravel
202
moderately cohesive
203
moderately developed vesicular structure
204
salts beneath some stones
205
some sand wedges penetrating to 15cm depth
206
rock particles moderately to strongly stained and some moderately altered
207
distinct boundary,
546c 5-12cm
301
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy gravel
302
moderately cohesive
303
abundant diffuse salts
304
rock particles subangular
305
distinct boundary,
546d 12-17cm
401
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy to silty gravel
402
moderately cohesive
403
pulverulent
404
rock particles subangular and unstained
405
indistinct boundary,
546e 17-25cm
501
yellow (10YR 7/6) sandy to silty gravel
502
weakly cohesive
503
pulverulent
504
some scattered salts
505
rock particles subangular and unstained
506
indistinct boundary,
546f 25-55cm
601
yellow (10YR 7/6) sandy to silty gravel
602
loose
603
rock particles subangular and unstained
604
sharp boundary, on ice-cemented ground
Yes
a,b,c,d,e,f,g
Dry frozen over ice-cemented
55
4
(55cm)
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
54600004
89.00
19.70
44.80
15.50
1.30
1.00
2.70
14.20
0.90
54600005
92.00
17.40
43.70
16.20
2.00
2.50
5.40
12.10
0.80
54600002
67.00
25.70
37.00
16.10
2.20
2.30
5.90
9.90
0.90
54600003
88.00
27.30
38.00
14.70
1.80
1.60
3.70
12.00
0.80
54600001
54600006
89.00
23.70
45.00
14.50
1.50
1.50
4.40
8.60
0.70
54600004
7.80
27.40
400.00
35.00
215.00
10.50
12.80
60.00
96.00
54600005
8.10
13.00
220.00
20.00
107.00
12.00
11.30
60.00
12.50
54600002
7.80
8.50
76.00
29.00
115.00
2.80
8.10
38.00
7.10
54600003
7.80
32.00
500.00
40.00
360.00
10.50
13.10
100.00
107.00
54600001
54600006
7.60
5.00
68.50
2.00
33.00
3.20
7.40
14.00
5.70
54600004
54600005
70
11
5
2
mica-smectite 12
54600002
70
5
7
9
4
3
54600003
60
3
8
11
mica-smectite 10
54600001
66
5
7
7
5
4
mica-smectite 6
54600006
76
3
11
5
mica-smectite 5
12-Dec-2005
Page 504 of 896
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