Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
590000
590
31-Jan-1990
IBC, GGGC, MRB
Pram Point, Scott Base, Ross Island
Soil moisture and permafrost investigations
Dept of Interior US Geological Survey 1986
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
166.7410
-77.8519
77deg 51.11'S
-166deg -44.46'E
Between Scott base and Crater Hill, a small nivation cirque above and southwest of a bend in the track to a US radio antennae facility; this site is the second of 5 sites sampled |
in sequence; this site at the edge of a snow bank |
6
SE
70
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
45
-2.9
Xerous to subxerous; some moisture from adjacent snow melt
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Bouldery till and slope debris predominantly from scoria with minor accessions of sedimentary and granitic rocks
Nil
Minor ground shrinkage cracks from ice cement retreat
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Unweathered
Nil
590a 0-2cm
101
grey (5Y 5/1) sandy scoria gravel
102
loose
103
sharp boundary, drill core in ice-cemented ground
590b 2-25cm
201
[grey (5Y 5/2) scoria gravel,
590c 25-40cm
301
[ olive grey (5Y 5/2) scoria gravel,
590d 40-45cm
401
[ greyish brown (2.5Y 5/2) scoria gravel
Yes
a,b,c,d
Hard ice-cemented
2
1
(2cm)
Geoland
Rocks are predominantly scoria flows of the McMurdo Volcanics; Last Glaciation Ross 1 ice covered the site and traces of rocks (sandstone and granite granules |
and small pebbles) probably from the Royal Society Range can be found; the drift mantle is thin and patchy with bedrock a little below the surface |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
59000001
590a
0-2cm
0
2
47.00
6.00
none
59000002
590b
5-25cm
5
25
37.00
9.10
none
59000003
590c
25-40cm
25
40
58.00
28.50
none
59000004
590d
40-45cm
40
45
49.00
36.90
none
59000001
47.00
51.90
21.40
13.40
5.40
2.70
3.30
1.70
0.30
59000002
37.00
34.30
14.80
12.20
7.90
13.00
11.60
6.00
0.30
59000003
58.00
33.00
19.00
17.60
9.00
9.20
9.30
2.60
0.40
59000004
49.00
30.50
12.90
14.20
10.40
14.40
13.40
3.60
0.60
59000001
9.00
0.37
0.87
0.03
0.13
0.04
0.17
0.29
0.08
59000002
9.20
0.16
0.98
0.04
0.15
0.04
0.34
0.32
0.04
59000003
9.20
0.22
1.39
0.04
0.07
0.03
0.50
0.71
59000004
9.20
0.23
1.23
0.04
0.03
0.50
0.35
59000001
59000002
59000003
59000004
12-Dec-2005
Page 548 of 896
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