Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
805000
805
18-Jan-1995
IBC, GGC
Greenville Valley, southwest of Northwind Glacier in the Convoy Range
Permafrost and soil moisture investigations
not recorded
Lscp & CS Profile
No
160.8150
-76.7600
76deg 45.6'S
-160deg -48.9'E
Approximately 9 km WSW of Larsen Crag, on the south west side of Greenville Valley, on an undulating gully-like surface, and on the south side of a small knoll formed by a |
ridge of dolerite and 10 m from a ridge crest |
4
W
1,300
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
0
1.0
surface,
5
2.0
10
-2.0
20
-2.5
30
-5.0
40
-6.0
50
-7.0
60
-8.0
70
-8.0
Xerous to sub xerous; several snowfalls and a recent fall within 36 hours; most snow cover |
removed by ablation but some soil moistening in the upper few centimetres; no liquid flows |
-27
Central Mountain
Thin weathered doleritic & sandstone(Weller Coal Measure) drift over fragmented bedrock; much fine fraction appears to be subrounded quartz grains
Occasional yellow and green lichen in rock fissures and some patches of black lichen
Not present at site
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Strong staining with polish and pitting of finer grained surface dolerite clasts, coarse grained dolerites crumbled; some dolerite boulders cavernously |
weathered; weakly ventiform; salts beneath some surface stones |
Nil
805a 2-0cm
101
surface cobbles, pebbles, and granular sand
102
mod. developed pavement of subrounded & pitted strongly stained fine grained dolerite, & pebbles & granules |
of disaggregated coarser grained dolerite, |
805b 0-3cm
201
dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) sandy pebble gravel
202
moist
203
loose to slightly cohesive
204
rock particles subangular to subrounded with many strongly stained and altered
205
distinct boundary,
805c 3-6cm
301
yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy gravel
302
profuse salt horizon of variable thickness
303
moderately cohesive and salt cemented
304
rock particles mainly subangular with many disaggregating and some ghosts
305
sharp boundary,
805d 16-25cm
401
yellowish red (5YR 5/8) bouldery sandy gravel fragmented bedrock
402
moist
403
moderately cohesive
404
diffuse salts precipitating on drying soil surfaces
405
smaller rock particles stained and strongly altered with larger particles unstained but disaggregating
406
diffuse boundary,
805e 25-35cm
501
yellowish red (5YR 5/8) bouldery sandy gravel fragmented bedrock
502
fine fraction mainly in cracks between disaggregated clasts
503
profuse salt accumulations around some boulders
504
smaller rock particles rounded and strongly stained
505
sharp boundary,
805f 35-65cm
601
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) bouldery sand infilling cracks formed by ice fracturing of bedrock
602
moist
603
indistinct boundary,
805g 65-75cm
701
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sand infilling cracks in bedrock
Yes
a,b,c,d,e,f,g
Dry frozen
10
5
(10cm)
Geoland
Greenville Valley comprises mainly dolerite with some minor sedimentary rocks (Weller Coal Measures) and has been formed by ancient ice over riding the |
Convoy Range from the west; valley-head wall deposits occur mainly around the south-western side of the valley and represent alpine glacial deposits; towards |
the western end of Greenville Valley, the surface is a dolerite platform with a thin irregular till cover but with occasional sandstone and decomposed granite |
erratics; on the lower surfaces which slope and drain towards the north-east, till deposits are more extensive, have more strongly developed patterned ground and |
have a greater abundance of pink granite erratics,,,,, |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
80500001
805a
2-0cm
-2
0
17.38
0.91
none
80500002
805b
0-3cm
0
3
1.37
74.49
5.24
none
80500003
805c
3-6cm
3
6
1.27
58.67
6.41
none
80500004
805d
16-25cm
16
25
1.31
59.28
3.71
none
80500005
805e
25-35cm
25
35
1.35
81.07
3.24
none
80500006
805f
35-65cm
35
65
1.30
87.19
5.99
none
80500007
805g
65-75cm
65
75
1.53
33.45
3.75
none
80500001
17.40
0.91
80500002
74.50
5.24
80500003
58.70
6.41
80500004
59.30
3.71
80500005
81.10
3.24
80500006
87.10
5.99
80500007
33.50
3.75
80500001
80500002
80500003
80500004
80500005
80500006
80500007
80500001
80500002
80500003
80500004
80500005
80500006
80500007
12-Dec-2005
Page 782 of 896
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