Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
829000
829
9-Jan-1998
IBC DSS WM
South side of Upper Taylor Glacier between West Beacon and New Mountain; a small relict hanging valley 2km E of Arena Valley
Soil salts investigation
Not recorded
P & LScp CS
GPS
161.0820
-77.8435
77deg 50.61'S
-161deg -4.92'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
0
Nil
1,600
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
(Flat)
0
-0.1
Surface
5
-2.8
8
-4.5
25
-4.8
60
-3.6
80
-7.4
120
-9.7
| Recent snowfall and some moisture in surface horizons which froze; lower horizons dry; |
| snow patches are scarce and no liquid water observed |
-30
Xerous to subxerous, inland mountains
Dominantly dolerite and sandstone bouldery till with some granite; non ice-cemented
Nil observed
Nil at site; no ice cement present
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
cf. Notes for SURFWEA below
Not pristine but no indication of previous disturbances
829a 3-0cm
101
well developed pebble pavement with ventiform dolerite and sandstone clasts
102
mainly subrounded and well stained and polished,
829b 0-4cm
201
brown to dark brown (7.5YR 5/4 - 4/4) granular coarse sand
202
moderately cohesive
203
moderately vesicular
204
rock particles mainly subrounded and strongly stained
205
irregular wavy boundary,
829c 4-10cm
301
yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) pebbly gravelly sand
302
firmly cohesive
303
salt cemented in patches with salts profuse, continuous and crystalline
304
rock particles subrounded and moderately to strongly stained and coated with salts
305
distinct boundary,
829d 10-16cm
401
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) bouldery silty gravel
402
moderately cohesive
403
salts mainly diffuse but abundant and precipitating on drying soil surfaces
404
rocks mainly angular and unstained but some ghosts
405
indistinct boundary,
829e 16-27cm
501
olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) silty to sandy bouldery gravel
502
moderately cohesive
503
few scattered salts
504
coarse rock particles angular and unstained
505
indistinct boundary,
829f 27-65cm
601
light yellowish brown to pale olive (2.5Y 6/4 - 5Y 6/3) bouldery silty sand
602
tightly compact
603
few fine salt flecks
604
rock particles angular and unstained,
829g 65-76cm
701
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy gravel (paleosol?)
702
firmly cohesive
703
some scattered salts
704
rock particles mainly subrounded to subangular and weakly stained but some oxidised ventiforms
705
distinct boundary,
829h 76-82cm
801
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) cobbly sandy to silty gravel
802
moderately cohesive
803
salts common and diffused through the horizon
804
rock particles subrounded and weakly to moderately oxidised
805
indistinct boundary,
829i 82-100cm
901
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) gravelly silty sand
902
firmly cohesive
903
few scattered salts
904
rock particles subangular and weakly oxidised
905
distinct boundary,
829j 100-110cm
1001
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) pebbly to bouldery sand (paleosol?)
1002
loose
1003
rock particles subangular to subrounded and unstained
1004
sharp boundary,
829k 110-120cm
1101
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) pebbly to cobbly sandy to silty gravel
1102
firmly cohesive
1103
rock particles subangular and unstained
Yes
Dry frozen
10
4
(~10cm)
Surfwea
| Well developed stone pavement with ventifacted and pitted dolerite and well polished sandstones; surface clasts mainly <75cm; strong staining but abrasion on |
| up-valley sides; some boulders crumbly and exfoliated and some weak cavernous weathering; salt concentrations beneath some surface stones; surface |
| topography subdued with few upstanding boulders |
Descr
| The site is approximately 1 km south of site 828 in the hanging cirque valley between Arena Valley and New Mountain; the site is near the centre of the valley |
| floor and on what appears to be the upmost identifiable up-valley till deposit; from the mouth of the valley, the valley floor rises in a series of gentle steps which |
| probably represent subdued moraine ridges; the profile site is a little beyond the crest of a rise on a level surface |
Geoland
| Local outcropping rocks are Ferrar Dolerite and Beacon Sandstone; the valley entrance, floor and part of the valley sides, however, have till deposits of |
| non-local origin which include the now familiar granite erratic tills deposited as an up-valley re-advance from the Taylor Glacier into what may have been old |
| empty hanging cirque valleys; multiple re- invasions of ice into this valley are indicated by paleosols in the till deposits; the large granite erratic boulders present |
| near the mouth of the valley are absent at this site but some smaller decomposed granite boulders are present indicating a non local origin for the till; the deposit |
| should be older than the till at site 828 |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
82900001
82900002
82900003
82900004
82900005
82900006
82900007
82900008
82900009
82900010
82900011
82900001
6.30
1.52
2.74
3.08
2.25
0.07
0.97
6.04
1.02
82900002
7.10
4.02
6.87
8.45
7.58
0.14
3.20
16.53
3.11
82900003
7.90
15.62
62.93
4.30
35.50
0.50
11.44
68.93
24.69
82900004
7.90
46.90
250.00
0.85
27.29
0.77
9.30
48.37
257.96
82900005
7.60
10.89
37.57
1.59
20.50
0.58
10.07
19.22
33.92
82900006
7.80
11.84
29.20
13.05
28.54
0.61
9.93
38.74
24.21
82900007
7.90
8.93
17.61
14.05
20.46
0.37
5.10
29.96
18.36
82900008
7.80
7.76
17.39
9.65
20.25
0.40
5.89
24.49
18.36
82900009
7.50
3.41
7.30
3.03
5.83
0.28
5.21
5.65
6.26
82900010
7.20
1.78
3.26
2.78
2.42
11.15
2.00
4.13
2.58
82900011
82900001
82900002
82900003
82900004
82900005
82900006
82900007
82900008
82900009
82900010
82900011
12-Dec-2005
Page 806 of 896
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