Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
631000
631
29-Nov-1991
IBC, GGC, MRB
Marble Point, western McMurdo Sound
Soil moisture and permafrost investigation; examination on beach ridge surfaces of differing ages
USGS Antarctica Topographic Series 1:50,000; Marble Point, Antarctica
CS Pro
Yes
163.7290
-77.4117
77deg 24.70'S
-163deg -43.74'E
| Approximately 150m from the coast in Arnold Cove; east from the S end of the Marble Point Air Facility; on the second clearly defined raised beach surface; a narrow ridge |
| surface with a 10m 1o backslope and a 10o foreslope; on the crest of the ridge |
0
Nil
20
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
155
-12.0
| A dry site with no thaw seepages; residual snow in adjacent hollows; no soil moistening |
| evident |
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Weakly sorted sandy bouldery gravel of mixed lithology; some shell fragments present
Nil at site; moss patches and cyanobacteria are common locally
Weakly developed rectangular nets with 20cm deep troughs; some troughs closed with sand fillings
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
Bouldery gravel; many granodiorites have distinct oxidation
Human visitation with some old soil pit sites
631a 4-0cm
101
surface bouldery gravel
102
subrounded to subangular
103
some clasts partly disaggregating and partly oxidised,
631b 0-10cm
201
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) pebbly bouldery gravel
202
loose
203
rock particles subrounded to sub angular, some weakly stained
204
indistinct boundary,
631c 10-26cm
301
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) pebbly bouldery gravel
302
loose
303
rock particles subangular to subrounded
304
some moderately oxidised
305
distinct boundary,
631d 26-38cm
401
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) pebble gravel
402
slightly moist
403
sharp boundary,
631e 38-43cm
501
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) granular gravel
502
very firm
503
ice-cemented
504
rock particles dominantly subrounded,
631f 43-53cm
601
drill core
602
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
603
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
631g 53-66cm
701
drill core
702
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
703
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
631h 66-90cm
801
drill core
802
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
803
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
631i 90-103cm
901
drill core
902
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
903
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
631j 103-107cm
1001
drill core
1002
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
1003
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
631k 107-122cm
1101
drill core
1102
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
1103
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
631l 122-147cm
1201
drill core
1202
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
1203
rock particles subangular to subrounded,
631m 147-155cm
1301
drill core
1302
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel
1303
rock particles subangular to subrounded
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
38
1
(38cm)
Geoland
| The Marble Point beach ridges are a well defined set of raised beaches; they are though to have formed due to isostatic uplift; the age may range from 10,000 |
| years; the lithology is mixed granite, gneiss, marble with kenyite in places; surface boulders are well rounded but clasts below the surface are subangular; sorting |
| due to beach processes may only have been superficial |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
63100001
21.00
63100002
41.00
0.67
63100003
35.00
0.77
63100004
27.00
0.72
63100005
31.00
5.24
63100006
51.00
5.15
63100007
44.00
8.79
63100008
33.00
19.01
63100009
47.00
20.93
63100010
73.00
57.37
63100011
38.00
32.45
63100012
31.00
34.97
63100013
83.00
61.31
63100001
63100002
63100003
63100004
63100005
63100006
63100007
63100008
63100009
63100010
63100011
63100012
63100013
63100001
63100002
63100003
63100004
63100005
63100006
63100007
63100008
63100009
63100010
63100011
63100012
63100013
12-Dec-2005
Page 589 of 896
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