Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
615000
615
21-Nov-1991
IBC, GGC, MRB
Marble Point, western McMurdo Sound
Permafrost and soil moisture examinations
USGS Antarctica Topographic Series 1:50,000; Marble Point, Antarctica
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
163.6640
-77.4165
77deg 24.99'S
-163deg -39.84'E
Approximately 4.4km NW of Marble Point peninsula and 450m W of the Marble Point Air Facility; about 40m from the Wilson Piedmont Glacier; on a surface that receives |
summer meltwater runoff as sheet flow during thaw; not a distinct stream channel |
3
SE
75
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
10
-2.5
146
-13.1
Presently dry but moist with a thin surface water flow in some summers
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Sandy gravel till from mixed granite, gneiss and marble, with minor surface fluvial sorting
Dried cyanobacteria; scattered moss patches adjacent to larger boulders
Micro polygon nets
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Larger clasts are angular to subrounded with some weak staining; some staining along cracks and veins; marble clasts actively crumbling; spalling in fine |
grained rocks is common |
Extensive mechanical and human activity in the region since the mid-1950's
615a 3-0cm
101
surface bouldery gravel
102
rock particle angular to subangular and non stained but a few weakly altered
103
abundant dried cyanobacterial material,
615b 0-3cm
201
olive (5Y 5/3) sandy to silty gravel
202
loose
203
rock particles subangular and unstained
204
distinct boundary,
615c 3-8cm
301
olive (5Y 5/3) sandy to silty gravel
302
weakly cohesive
303
moist
304
rock particles subangular and unstained
305
sharp boundary,
615d 8-18cm
401
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
402
very firm
403
ice cemented
404
rock particles subangular and unstained
405
sharp boundary,
615e 18-30cm
501
drill core
502
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
503
rock particles subangular and unstained,
615f 30-47cm
601
drill core
602
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
603
rock particles subangular and unstained,
615g 47-65cm
701
pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy to silty gravel
702
rock particles subangular and unstained,
615h 65-76cm
801
pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy to silty gravel
802
rock particles subangular and unstained,
615i 76-93cm
901
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
902
rock particles subangular and unstained,
615j 93-104cm
1001
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
1002
rock particles subangular and unstained,
615k 104-129cm
1101
pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy to silty gravel
1102
rock particles subangular and unstained,
615l 129-146cm
1201
pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy to silty gravel
1202
rock particles subangular and unstained
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
16
1
(16cm)
Geoland
The surface is a gently undulating till plain formed by retreat of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier; the Marble Point region is an old landscape, with 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; |
granodiorite, granite, marble, gneiss, and dolerite are the main rock types present; sheet flow probably results in some minor sorting of the till deposits |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
61500001
6.00
61500002
61.00
2.01
61500003
78.00
10.51
61500004
71.00
10.34
61500005
75.00
16.74
61500006
38.00
12.36
61500007
56.00
36.48
61500008
87.00
31.42
61500009
95.00
68.43
61500010
19.00
9.17
61500011
48.00
15.52
61500012
77.00
20.33
61500001
61500002
61500003
61500004
61500005
61500006
61500007
61500008
61500009
61500010
61500011
61500012
61500001
61500002
61500003
61500004
61500005
61500006
61500007
61500008
61500009
61500010
61500011
61500012
12-Dec-2005
Page 573 of 896
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