Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
830000
830
8-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 water loss after snowfall
Not recorded
GPS
161.0670
-77.8368
77deg 50.21'S
-161deg -4.02'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
20
NE
1,500
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
| Recent snowfall and some moisture in surface horizons which froze; lower horizons dry; |
| snow patches are scarce and no liquid water observed; these samples were collected |
| immediately after the snow cover had disappeared |
-30
Xerous to subxerous, inland mountains
Dominantly dolerite and sandstone bouldery till with some granite; non ice-cemented
Nil observed
Nil at site
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
cf. Notes for SURFWEA below
The area was disturbed in 1987 and a camp site, a former pit site and helicopter skid marks were still visible
830
101
Profile description as for soil 828 some 25m away
830a 0-3cm
201
moist soil
830b 3-10cm
301
salty and moist
830c 10-15cm
401
drier
Yes
Dry frozen
10
4
(~10cm)
Descr
| The site is located near the mouth of a small hanging valley on a flattish surface, about 100 m up valley from the escarpment formed by the break in slope with |
| the side of the upper Taylor Valley; the site is a stable glacial retreat surface which gently rises up valley to the south and is notable for the occurrence of some |
| very large (circa 6 m) granite boulders; a somewhat windy site on occasions, the sample site was approximately 20 m N of the camp site |
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 proportion of granite erratic in these |
| valley floor tills appears to diminish up valley, which again suggests multiple ice event deposition; the possibility of ice invasion with minimal till deposition |
| exists as some sandstone boulders are pale coloured and weakly oxidised, contrasting with surrounding strongly oxidised sandstone clasts |
Surfwea
| There is a well developed desert pavement of pebbles and cobbles with some flattish boulders, all showing some ventifaction; the very large granite boulders are |
| rounded and have moderately oxidised surfaces but appear to sit on the surface suggesting that these may have been a later addition; some smaller granite |
| boulders however are strongly disaggregated; pitting on dolerite is well developed as are oxidation and polish; thick encrusting salt deposits occur beneath many |
| surface clasts |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
83000001
83000002
83000003
83000001
83000002
83000003
83000001
83000002
83000003
12-Dec-2005
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