Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
618000
618
22-Nov-1991
IBC, GGC, MRB
Marble Point, western McMurdo Sound
Permafrost and soil moisture examinations; investigation of 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
Dry site with no snow thaw k
-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
618a 2-0cm
101
surface sandy gravel
102
rock particles angular and unstained,
618b 0-3cm
201
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
202
loose
203
some cemented silt coatings
204
rock particles angular and unstained with a few slightly oxidised
205
distinct boundary,
618c 3-24cm
301
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
302
weakly cohesive
303
slightly moist
304
rock particles angular and unstained
305
sharp boundary,
618d 24-30cm
401
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
402
very firm
403
frosted
404
rock particles subangular and unstained
405
some distinct silt coatings
406
sharp boundary,
618e 30-43cm
501
drill core
502
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
503
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618f 43-48cm
601
drill core
602
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
603
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618g 48-61cm
701
drill core
702
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
703
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618h 61-69cm
801
drill core
802
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
803
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618i 69-83cm
901
drill core
902
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
903
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618j 83-107
1001
drill core
1002
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
1003
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618k 107-114cm
1101
drill core
1102
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
1103
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618l 114-124cm
1201
drill core
1202
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
1203
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
618m 124-140cm
1301
drill core
1302
light grey (5Y 7/2) sandy to silty gravel
1303
rock particles subangular to subrounded
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
45
1
(45cm)
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 near |
a small thawing snow patch; 50cm from a shallow patterned ground crack; a gently sloping surface, half way between a knoll crest and a pond at the foot of the |
slope; the site is between site 616 and 517 |
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 |
61800001
18.00
61800002
54.00
1.10
61800003
61.00
2.39
61800004
72.00
5.46
61800005
23.00
5.26
61800006
32.00
10.31
61800007
63.00
12.21
61800008
11.00
9.05
61800009
67.00
63.81
61800010
61.00
29.56
61800011
1.00
47.07
61800012
47.00
15.31
61800013
85.00
42.69
61800001
61800002
61800003
61800004
61800005
61800006
61800007
61800008
61800009
61800010
61800011
61800012
61800013
61800001
61800002
61800003
61800004
61800005
61800006
61800007
61800008
61800009
61800010
61800011
61800012
61800013
12-Dec-2005
Page 576 of 896
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