Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
815000
815
15-Dec-2019
IBC
North side of Lake Vanda in Wright Valley, near the eastern end on a sloping fan surface
Lithium chloride soil leaching experiment; the second sampling series to determining leaching rates in this |
environment |
Lake Vanda Antarctica 1:50 000 Topographic Series, 1977
Yes
Yes
161.6800
-77.5197
77deg 31.18'S
-161deg -40.80'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
8
S
200
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(8o)
Xerous to subxerous; minimal moisture from snowfall with very low soil moisture contents
-20
Central Mountain
Partly sorted sandy fan gravel
None observed
Weakly developed large polygons
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
Undisturbed surface with a well developed small pebble pavement with some clasts showing some ventifaction
Nil at site but previous sampling on ground 1m away for LiCl leaching trial
815a 0-5cm
101
surface pavement
102
subrounded to rounded pebbles with occasional cobbles and abundant granules and coarse sand
103
some clasts weakly to moderately ventiform,
815b 5-10cm
201
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand
202
loose
203
few fine salt flecks adhering to rock particles
204
rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
815c 10-20cm
301
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand
302
loose
303
a few fine salt flecks adhering to rock particles
304
rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
815d 20-30cm
401
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand
402
loose
403
a few fine salt flecks adhering to rock particles
404
rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
815e 30-40cm
501
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand
502
loose
503
rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
Yes
a,b,c,d,e
Dry frozen
35
1
(~35)
Descr
The site lies within the zone of lake benches formed by former rises in the level of Lake Vanda; to the south, there is some minor broad polygonal patterns |
indicating some ice cemented ground; the site is about half way up the fan. For the experiment in January 1994, two series of plots were established, about 20 m |
apart, with 3 adjacent 1 meter square plots being irrigated with a LiCl solution and 1 plot being irrigated with H2O as a control. After an initial sampling, |
subsequent samplings were made in January 1995 and in December 1995. Samplings were made from the irrigated plot and at 1 m intervals to 3 m down slope |
from above the irrigated plot and also from the H2O control plot. This sample is downslope 2m from the application plot in the western series |
Geoland
The site lies within the zone of lake benches formed by former rises in the level of Lake Vanda. The deposits are probably lake sediments that have been |
subsequently reworked by somewhat mild fan depositional processes from periodic stream flows from adjacent mountain slopes. The deposits have a dominantly |
sandy texture and are generally weakly to non stratified |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
81500001
78.70
0.56
81500002
77.40
0.72
81500003
89.70
0.81
81500004
79.70
0.70
81500005
79.70
0.60
81500001
81500002
81500003
81500004
81500005
81500001
81500002
81500003
81500004
81500005
12-Dec-2005
Page 792 of 896
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