Ross Sea Region Soil Sites

Wright Valley, on the northern side opposite Vanda Station

Soil moisture and permafrost characterisation; undisturbed site for geochemical and soil contamination

reference characterisation

cf. Notes for DESCR below

cf. Notes for GEOLAND below

Xerous; dry with no identifiable source of free water

SOIL MOISTURE STATUS

Old up-valley silty to sandy and bouldery till

SOIL PARENT MATERIAL

SURFACE WEATHERING or

SURFACE FEATURES

cf. Notes for SURFWEA below

PREVIOUS DISTURBANCE

surface pavement of subangular to subrounded moderately ventifacted pebbles with granules and loose sand

weak surface staining on some clasts

salts beneath some surface stones,

light yellowish brown to brownish yellow (2.5Y 7/4-10YR 6/6) pebbly gravelly sand

weakly cohesive surface crust with weakly developed vesicular structure

rock particles subangular to subrounded some with weak to moderate staining

light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) cobbly silty sandy gravel

moderately to strongly cohesive

some ghosts and partly disaggregated cobble clasts

rock particles subangular to subrounded and non to weakly stained

indistinct boundary,

pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) silty to sandy pebble and cobble gravel

moderately to strongly cohesive

some ghosts and partly disaggregated cobble clasts

abundant small to medium salt flecks

rock particles mainly sub rounded and unstained

indistinct boundary,

pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) silty to sandy pebble and cobble gravel

moderately to strongly cohesive

few small to medium salt flecks

rock particles mainly subrounded to subangular and unstained

indistinct boundary,

light grey (2.5Y 7/2) bouldery silty to sandy till

moderately to strongly cohesive

very few fine salt flecks

rock particles mainly subangular to subrounded and unstained, on light grey bouldery till

FROZEN GROUND DEPTH(cm)

SOIL WEATHERING STAGE

North eastern end of Lake Vanda approximately 1.5km north northeast of Vanda Station; an old till surface with abundant scattered dolerite boulders; the surface

is broad and moderately steeply sloping with weakly developed benches formed as a consequence of ice retreat benches

The rocks of the valley side are granodiorites cut by lamprophyre dykes and intruded with dolerite; old compact silty till, including Peleus or Jason Till, and

younger up-valley coarser tills with a variety of basement rock types included, mantle the valley sides; these deposits and the surface features have been weakly

modified in some places by fan detritus from intermittent low energy flows originating from gullies from the Olympus Range; the site has mainly dolerite

boulders at the surface with the pavement being predominantly granodiorite; surface boulders are not thought to have originated as talus or debris falling from

slopes above but have been deposited by retreating valley-filling ice

Dolerite boulders are rounded to subrounded with flattened and abraded up-wind surfaces; oxide staining on unabraded surfaces is distinct; granodiorites and

granites are crumbled and have some staining; small accumulations of salts occur beneath some surface stones

Vol. Moisture

Drill Vol

Vol. Moisture

(BD=2)

Soluble Salt

Concentration

Gravimetric

Moisture

Part. Size

0.02-0.002

Part. Size

0.05-0.02