Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
575000
575
22-Jan-1990
IBC, GGGC, MRB
Marble Point region, western McMurdo Sound just east of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier, between Marble Point and Gneiss Point
Permafrost investigations, and environmental impact study; examination of a recent fuel spill
Marble Point Quadrangle, US Geological Survey, 1975
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
163.6860
-77.4217
77deg 25.30'S
-163deg -41.16'E
6m northeast of the southernmost building at the Marble Point air facility, and 4m from the site of a recent spill of DFA; the site was investigated to determine the depth to |
which the spilt fuel had migrated |
0
Nil
75
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
Oceanic subxerous,
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Old runway surface construction fill contaminated with recently spilt DFA
Nil observed at site
Nil
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
N/A; the ground surface is continuously disturbed from logistical activity, no fuel obvious fuel contamination at the surface at this site
Heavily disturbed from 1958 runway and subsequent surface modification and ongoing logistical site activity; adjacent fuel spill has spread across the top of |
the ice-cemented ground |
575a 0-5cm
101
olive (5Y 5/3) gravelly sand
102
weakly cohesive
103
no recent fuel contamination
104
distinct boundary,
575b 5-20cm
201
greyish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy cobble gravel
202
consolidated
203
indistinct boundary,
575c 50-60cm
301
greyish brown (2.5Y 5/2) cobble gravel
302
consolidated
303
distinct boundary
575d 60-80cm
401
dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2) bouldery sandy gravel
402
fuel contaminated
403
indistinct boundary,
575e 80-90cm
501
light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) fuel contaminated sandy gravel with a fuel pool at 80cm
502
distinct boundary, on ice-cemented ground
Yes
ice-cemented
90
1
(90cm)
Geoland
The land surface is a gently undulating till plain formed by retreat of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier; The Marble Point region is an old landscape, as evidenced by |
deposits of phillipsite, buried soils and oxidised gneiss, which have been covered by advances of the grounded Ross Ice Shelf; later ice retreat and glaciological |
features have been controlled by changes in the stranded Wilson Piedmont Glacier; the till mantle is patchy and dominated largely by locally occurring rocks |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
57500001
575a
0-5cm
0
5
none
57500002
575b
5-20cm
5
20
none
57500003
575c
50-60cm
50
60
none
57500004
575d
60-80cm
60
80
none
57500005
575e
80-90cm
80
90
none
57500001
57500002
57500003
57500004
57500005
57500001
57500002
57500003
57500004
57500005
57500001
57500002
57500003
57500004
57500005
12-Dec-2005
Page 533 of 896
575