Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
620000
620
23-Nov-1991
IBC, GGC, MRB
Marble Point, western McMurdo Sound
Soil water rate of loss investigation
USGS Antarctica Topographic Series 1:50,000; Marble Point, Antarctica
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
163.6610
-77.4153
77deg 24.92'S
-163deg -39.66'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
4
N
65
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
The soil is moist adjacent to the small snow patch which was retreating; beyond the visible |
wetting front, the soil surface was dry |
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Sandy gravel till from predominantly granitic rocks
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 |
A predominantly pebble gravel pavement; non to weakly stained
Extensive mechanical and human activity in the region since the mid-1950's
620a 0-5cm
101
10cm from snow patch
102
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
103
loose
104
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
105
some carbonate coatings,
620b 0-5cm
201
60cm from snow patch
202
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
203
loose
204
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
205
some carbonate coatings,
620c 0-5cm
301
130cm from snow patch
302
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
303
loose
304
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
305
some carbonate coatings,
620d 0-5cm
401
180cm from snow patch
402
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
403
loose
404
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
405
some carbonate coatings,
620e 0-5cm
501
250cm from snow patch
502
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
503
loose
504
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
505
some carbonate coatings,
620f 0-5cm
601
300cm from snow patch
602
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
603
loose
604
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
605
some carbonate coatings,
620g 0-5cm
701
360cm from snow patch
702
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
703
loose
704
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
705
some carbonate coatings,
620h 0-5cm
801
400cm from snow patch
802
pale olive (5Y 5/3) sandy gravel
803
loose
804
rock particles subangular with a few weakly stained
805
some carbonate coatings
Yes
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h
0
1
Descr
Approximately 4.6km NW of Marble Point peninsula and W of the Marble Point Air Facility; about 100m from the Wilson Piedmont Glacier; on a surface |
adjacent to a small thawing snow patch; the samples were collected from the moist soil at the edge of the snow and at intervals over a 4m distance to beyond the |
visible wetting front |
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 |
62000001
75.00
14.77
62000002
67.00
14.00
62000003
63.00
11.79
62000004
80.00
3.83
62000005
78.00
2.37
62000006
79.00
1.81
62000007
56.00
2.85
62000008
75.00
2.43
62000001
62000002
62000003
62000004
62000005
62000006
62000007
62000008
62000001
62000002
62000003
62000004
62000005
62000006
62000007
62000008
12-Dec-2005
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