Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
635000
635
30-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
-77.4127
77deg 24.76'S
-163deg -43.74'E
Approximately 70m from the coast in Arnold Cove; east from the S end of the Marble Point Air Facility; on the crest of the lowermost distinct beach ridge
0
Nil
7
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
A dry site, no adjacent snow or soil moistening
-18
Coastal Antarctic
Weakly sorted bouldery gravel from rocks of mixed lithology, granite; granodiorite; marble gneiss and some kenyite
Nil at site; moss patches and cyanobacteria are common locally
Nil
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
Boulders larger and less weathered than on upper beach ridge surfaces; many have strong patchy surface oxidation; a few surface salt patches
Human visitation with some old soil pit sites
635a 5-0cm
101
surface boulders, cobbles and pebbly granular sand
102
rock particles rounded to subangular, some distinct oxide staining,
635b 0-6cm
201
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) cobbly to bouldery sandy gravel
202
very loose
203
rock particles subrounded to subangular
204
some clasts partly oxidised and disaggregating
205
sharp boundary,
635c 6-16cm
301
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) bouldery gravel
302
loose
303
rock particles mainly subangular and subrounded with some partly oxidised and disaggregating
304
diffuse boundary,
635d 16-35cm
401
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) bouldery gravel
402
loose
403
rock particles subangular and subrounded with some partly oxidised and disaggregated
404
sharp boundary,
635e 35-62cm
501
light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) bouldery gravel
502
weakly cohesive
503
slightly moist
504
some unidentified organic material present
505
rock particles subangular and subrounded
506
sharp boundary,
635f 62-78cm
601
drill core
602
rock,
635g 78-93cm
701
drill core
702
rock,
635h 93-105cm
801
drill core
802
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel, rock particles subangular to subrounded,
635i 105-112cm
901
drill core
902
rock,
635j 112-122cm
1001
drill core
1002
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel, rock particles subangular to subrounded,
635k 122-131cm
1101
drill core
1102
light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel, rock particles subangular to subrounded,
635l 131-139cm
1201
drill core
1202
rock
Yes
Hard ice-cemented
62
1
(62cm)
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, granodiorite marble with kenyite in places; some boulders are oxidised and partly crumbled |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
63500001
14.00
63500002
37.00
0.44
63500003
35.00
0.36
63500004
48.00
0.31
63500005
42.00
1.28
63500006
42.00
9.08
63500007
33.00
12.72
63500008
62.00
12.01
63500009
50.00
6.52
63500010
49.00
11.86
63500011
53.00
15.25
63500012
37.00
14.21
63500001
63500002
63500003
63500004
63500005
63500006
63500007
63500008
63500009
63500010
63500011
63500012
63500001
63500002
63500003
63500004
63500005
63500006
63500007
63500008
63500009
63500010
63500011
63500012
12-Dec-2005
Page 593 of 896
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