Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
616000
616
22-Nov-1991
IBC, GGC, MRB
Marble Point, western McMurdo Sound
Permafrost and soil moisture examinations; investigation of moisture differences at a patterned ground crack
USGS Antarctica Topographic Series 1:50,000; Marble Point, Antarctica
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
163.6630
-77.4157
77deg 24.94'S
-163deg -39.78'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
2
N
70
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
167
-12.9
Dry at the edge of the patterned ground crack; no indication of an underlying ice wedge
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Bouldery sandy gravel till
Nil at site; moss patches and cyanobacteria are common locally
Weakly developed 20m nets; 5cm troughs with active open cracks
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Most boulders angular and unstained; a few with distinct oxide staining; a moderately developed pebble and cobble pavement; calcium carbonate coatings |
beneath many surface clasts; some surface salt efflorescences adjacent to thawing snow patches |
Extensive mechanical and human activity in the region since the mid-1950's
616a 2-0cm
101
surface granular to bouldery gravel
102
rock particles dominantly subangular and unstained but some weakly oxidised,
616b 0-3cm
201
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
202
loose
203
a few small cyanobacterial particles
204
rock particles subangular and unstained
205
distinct boundary,
616c 3-18cm
301
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
302
loose to weakly cohesisve
303
slightly moist
304
rock particles subangular and unstained
305
distinct boundary,
616d 18-35cm
401
pale olive (5Y 6/4) sandy to silty gravel
402
firmly frosted
403
rock particles angular to subangular and unstained
404
sharp boundary,
616e 35-48cm
501
drill core
502
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
503
rock particles subangular and unstained,
616f 48-56cm
601
drill core
602
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
603
rock particles subangular and unstained,
616g 56-67cm
701
drill core
702
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
703
rock particles subangular and unstained,
616h 67-93cm
801
drill core
802
light grey (5Y 7/3) sandy to silty gravel
803
rock particles subangular and unstained,
616i 93-104cm
901
drill core
902
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
903
rock particles subangular and unstained,
616j 104-120cm
1001
drill core
1002
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
1003
rock particles subangular and unstained,
616k 120-141cm
1101
drill core
1102
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
1103
rock particles subangular and unstained,
616l 141-167cm
1201
drill core
1202
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
1203
rock particles subangular and unstained
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
18
1
(18cm)
Descr
Approximately 4.5km NW of Marble Point peninsula and W of the Marble Point Air Facility; about 100m from the Wilson Piedmont Glacier; on a surface about |
1m from a small thawing snow patch; in the center of a patterned ground crack; a gently sloping surface, half way between a knoll crest and a pond at the foot of |
the slope |
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 |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
61600001
17.00
61600002
36.00
1.33
61600003
76.00
4.41
61600004
72.00
6.65
61600005
63.00
11.68
61600006
81.00
15.09
61600007
65.00
52.81
61600008
54.00
46.14
61600009
80.00
49.41
61600010
76.00
48.47
61600011
89.00
36.77
61600012
76.00
34.84
61600001
61600002
61600003
61600004
61600005
61600006
61600007
61600008
61600009
61600010
61600011
61600012
61600001
61600002
61600003
61600004
61600005
61600006
61600007
61600008
61600009
61600010
61600011
61600012
12-Dec-2005
Page 574 of 896
616