Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
774000
774
20-Jan-1994
IBC,GGC,MRB,DIC
Beacon Heights, on the south side of Upper Taylor Glacier between East and West Beacon
Permafrost and soil moisture investigations for comparison with soils from moist coastal regions
not recorded
CS Pro & Lscp
No
160.8720
-77.8167
77deg 49.0'S
-160deg -52.3'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
3
E
1,700
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(3o)
| Xerous; some snow falls in winter and summer months but most is lost through ablation or by |
| blowing away; a dry site with no snow pockets nearby |
-30
Central Mountain
Bouldery to cobbly gravelly sand; some finer material in the upper part of the profile
Only endolithic algae observed below the surface of sandstone boulders or outcrops
No polygon cracks within 25m; some old infilled cracks
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
| Dark brown stained, polished and pitted dolerite rocks forming a cobble and boulder pavement; few granitic rocks present but these are strongly altered; |
| sandstone clasts are exfoliated; some weakly ventifacted clasts |
Nil
774a 4-0cm
101
surface pebble, cobble and boulder and granular sand pavement
102
clasts rounded to subrounded
103
strongly stained,
774b 0-4cm
201
brown (7.5YR 5/4) pebble and cobble gravel
202
weakly cohesive
203
weakly developed vesicular structure
204
rock particles subrounded to subangular and moderately to weakly stained
205
distinct boundary,
774c 4-7cm
301
brown to strong brown (7.5YR 5/4-5/6) silty to sandy pebble and cobble gravel
302
weakly to moderately cohesive
303
rock particles subrounded to subangular and moderately to weakly stained
304
distinct boundary,
774d 7-13cm
401
strong brown to yellowish red (7.5YR 5/8-5YR 5/8) silty to sandy pebble and cobble gravel
402
moderately to strongly cohesive
403
rock particles subrounded to subangular, moderately to weakly stained and some moderately altered
404
indistinct boundary,
774e 13-25cm
501
brown (7.5YR 5/4) brown (7.5YR 5/4) granular cobbly, pebbly an d bouldery gravel
502
loose
503
rock particles angular to subangular and unstained
504
indistinct boundary,
774f 25-59cm
601
brown to light brown (7.5Y 5/4-6/4) bouldery sandy gravel
602
loose
603
some salt accumulations around a few cobbles
604
a few patches of yellowish red (5YR 5/6) oxidised soil
605
rock particles subangular to subrounded and non to weakly stained
606
sharp boundary,
774g 59-80cm
701
] drill core samples in ice-cemented ground
774h 80-85cm
801
]
Yes
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h
hard ice-cemented
59
4/5
Descr
| Near the mouth of the valley, in a broad shallow depression, about 20m above the floor of the depression a low moraine ridge; approxinmately 1.7km northeast |
| of West Beacon and 2km north northwest of East Beacon; the surface is convex with gentle undulations and a few large boulders |
Geoland
| Local outcropping rocks are Ferrar Dolerite and Beacon Sandstone; the till at this site is similar to the till forming the ridge at the mouth of the valley in that it |
| contains some granite and granodiorite clasts indicating a till source from outside the valley; the floor of the depression may mark the up valley limit of the ice |
| advance that brought extensive granodioritic till at the valley mouth |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
77400001
774a
4-0cm
-4
0
17.00
0.45
none
77400002
774b
0-4cm
0
4
67.00
1.10
none
77400003
774c
4-7cm
4
7
65.00
1.32
none
77400004
774d
7-13cm
7
13
54.00
2.37
none
77400005
774e
13-25cm
13
25
68.00
1.42
none
77400006
774f
25-59cm
25
59
48.00
1.59
none
77400007
774g
59-80cm
59
80
70.00
11.94
none
77400008
774h
80-85cm
80
85
70.00
13.45
none
77400001
17.00
0.45
77400002
67.00
1.10
77400003
65.00
1.32
77400004
54.00
2.37
77400005
68.00
1.42
77400006
48.00
1.59
77400007
70.00
11.94
77400008
70.00
13.45
77400001
77400002
77400003
77400004
77400005
77400006
77400007
77400008
77400001
77400002
77400003
77400004
77400005
77400006
77400007
77400008
12-Dec-2005
Page 751 of 896
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