Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
624000
624
26-Nov-1991
IBC, GGC, MRB
Marble Point, western McMurdo Sound
Soil moisture and permafrost investigations
USGS Antarctica Topographic Series 1:50,000; Marble Point, Antarctica
CS Lscp & Pro
Yes
163.6780
-77.4118
77deg 24.71'S
-163deg -40.68'E
Approximately 4.3km NE of Marble Point on the east side of the runway, approximately 100m from the NE end; a sidecast mound about 1m high in gently sloping terrain, |
formed by previous bulldozing in the 1950's; the ssite is at the centre of the mound |
0
Nil
65
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
A dry site, no adjacent snow patches or soil moistening
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Approximately 75cm of sandy gravel fill, from marble, granite and gneiss
Nil at site; moss patches and cyanobacteria are common locally
Nil
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Surface clasts are a mixture of unoxidised clasts and partly oxidised clasts; many clasts have calcium carbonate coatings
Extensive construction activity and earth-moving in the late 1950's
624a 2-0cm
101
surface cobbles, boulders and granular gravel
102
subangular
103
some clasts weakly stained,
624b 0-20cm
201
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy bouldery gravel
202
loose
203
rock particles subangular
204
some clasts weakly stained
205
a few carbonate and silt coatings
206
indistinct boundary,
624c 20-40cm
301
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy bouldery gravel
302
loose
303
rock particles subangular
304
some clasts weakly stained
305
a few carbonate and silt coatings
306
distinct boundary,
624d 40-55cm
401
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy bouldery gravel
402
weakly cohesive
403
frosted
404
rock particles subangular
405
some clasts weakly stained
406
a few carbonate and silt coatings
407
indistinct boundary,
624e 55-75cm
501
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy bouldery gravel
502
weakly cohesive
503
frosted
504
rock particles subangular
505
some clasts weakly stained
506
indistinct boundary,
624f 75-95cm
601
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy bouldery gravel
602
firmly cohesive
603
rock particles subangular
604
some clasts weakly stained
605
a few carbonate and silt coatings
606
indistinct boundary,
624g 95-105cm
701
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy bouldery gravel
702
very firm
703
rock particles subangular
704
a few carbonate and silt coatings
705
sharp boundary,
624h 105-117cm
801
drill core
802
white (2.5Y 8/2) sandy to silty gravel,
624i 117-130cm
901
drill core
902
pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel,
624j 130-141cm
1001
drill core
1002
pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel,
624k 141-149cm
1101
drill core
1102
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy gravel,
624l 149-160cm
1201
drill core
1202
pale olive (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel,
624m 160-175cm
1301
drill core
1302
pale olive (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel,
624n 175-197cm
1401
drill core
1402
pale olive (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel,
624o 197-205cm
1501
drill core
1502
pale olive (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel,
624p 205-217cm
1601
drill core
1602
pale olive (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel,
624q 217-231cm
1701
drill core
1702
pale olive (5Y 7/3) sandy gravel
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
90
1
(90cm)
Geoland
The surface adjacent to the airstrip has been heavily disturbed during the runway construction; areas of cut and fill deposits and side-castings are common; the |
rocks are dominantly granodiorite, granite, marble and gneiss; the site was examined to assess the extent of water accumulation in the permafrost 35 years after |
the construction activity |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
62400002
74.00
2.64
62400003
61.00
1.76
62400001
20.00
62400004
46.00
4.29
62400005
58.00
3.21
62400006
49.00
3.59
62400007
62.00
5.63
62400008
23.00
4.79
62400009
52.00
9.30
62400010
65.00
12.72
62400011
63.00
15.79
62400012
67.00
14.45
62400013
44.00
25.58
62400014
51.00
25.16
62400015
44.00
13.55
62400016
47.00
15.52
62400017
64.00
26.08
62400002
62400003
62400001
62400004
62400005
62400006
62400007
62400008
62400009
62400010
62400011
62400012
62400013
62400014
62400015
62400016
62400017
62400002
62400003
62400001
62400004
62400005
62400006
62400007
62400008
62400009
62400010
62400011
62400012
62400013
62400014
62400015
62400016
62400017
12-Dec-2005
Page 582 of 896
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