Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
711000
711
5-Jan-1993
IBC, GGC
Cape Roberts, at the north western end of McMurdo Sound and at the northern end of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier
Cape Roberts soil examination for the CEE for the proposed McMurdo Sound Stratigraphic Drilling project
not recorded
CS Pro & Lscp
No
163.1830
-77.5000
77deg 30.0'S
-163deg -11.0'E
The site is located at the northern end of a gently sloping, fine gravelly area and a little to the north of the site of existing NZAP huts
4
S
4
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(4o)
oceanic subxerous
-17
coastal Antarctic
unweathered sandy gravel beach deposits from dominantly granodiorite and gneissic rocks
| not active at the profile site apart from some slight algal crusting; abundant algal and some moss accumulations in other places where water is abundant; |
| Skuas are abundant and the ground surface has noticable accumulations of guano |
some weak patterned ground formation with shallow ill- defined cracks
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
bright oxide staining in patches on some surface rocks; some slight exfoliation; clasts mainly rounded to subrounded due to beach abrasion
the site has been subjected to low levels of disturbance from previous activities at Cape Roberts;
711 3-0cm
101
surface pebbles and cobbles
102
rounded to subangular with a few strongly stained,
711a 0-1cm
201
light grey (5Y 7/1) granular to pebbly sand between the surface cobbles
202
weakly cohesive with a thin crust of strongly smalling guano
203
rock particles subrounded to subangular and unstained
204
distinct boundary,
711b 1-10cm
301
light grey (5Y 7/1) cobbly pebbly granular sand
302
loose
303
rock particles subrounded to subangular and unstained
304
distinct boundary,
711c 10-20cm
401
light grey (5Y 7/1) pebbly gravelly sand
402
loose
403
rock particles subangular with some moderately stained
404
diffuse boundary,
711d 20-37cm
501
light grey (5Y 7/1) pebbly cobbly gravelly sand
502
loose
503
rock particles subangular and unstained
504
diffuse boundary,
711e 37-52cm
601
light grey (5Y 7/1) pebbly to cobbly gravelly sand
602
moist
603
slightly cohesive
604
rock particles subangular and unstained
605
sharp boundary,
711f 52-60cm
701
light grey (5Y 7/1) pebbly to cobbly gravelly sand
702
very hard and ice cemented
703
rock oparticles subangular.
yes
ice-cemented
52
1
Geoland
| The rocks of the area are granodiorites that have been largely planed by ice movement then subject to some weathering processes by beach and wave action; |
| isostatic uplift has resulted in beach terracing with the raised beaches comprising mainly coarse boulder gravels; some schist/gneiss and occasional dolerite clasts |
| in the beach gravels are indicative of residual tills; bedrock outcrops widely forming an in situ large bouldery surface; fine gravel deposits occupy a small area |
| only |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
71100001
711
3-0cm
-3
0
none
71100002
711a
0-1cm
0
1
0.90
none
71100003
711b
1-10cm
1
10
21.00
none
71100004
711c
10-20cm
10
20
20.00
none
71100005
711d
20-37cm
20
37
1.50
none
71100006
711e
37-52cm
37
52
1.30
none
71100007
711f
52-60cm
52
60
4.40
none
71100002
1.00
71100003
1.30
71100004
1.50
71100001
0.90
71100005
1.30
71100006
4.40
71100002
71100003
71100004
71100001
71100005
71100006
71100002
71100003
71100004
71100001
71100005
71100006
12-Dec-2005
Page 669 of 896
711