Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
870000
870
6-Dec-1999
IBC
Near Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region, Transantarctic Mountains
cf. Notes for REASON below
Lake Bonney Quadrangle, Antarctic 1:50,000 Topographic Series, USGS 1975
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
162.8810
-77.6332
77deg 37.99'S
-162deg -52.86'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
5
NNE
90
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
1
7.1
5
4.0
15
0.3
19
-0.3
25
-1.0
Xerous to subxerous;
-20
Coastal mountain
Predominantly granite/gneiss/schist sandy gravel with minor amounts of dolerite, volcanic (scoria), sandstone and marble
Nil observed at site, nematodes present in adjacent soil; some green algae beneath marble clasts in the general area
Moderately developed 10x20m elongate nets with 20cm deep troughs, 75cm wide
SURFACE WEATHERING or |
SURFACE FEATURES |
A few clasts slightly oxidised and some weak ventifaction; grey calcium carbonate coatings abundant beneath many surface clasts
Site probably disturbed by foot traffic activity during biological research activities near the site
870a 1-0cm
101
surface cobbles, pebbles, granules and sand
102
unstained to weakly stained
103
subangular to subrounded
104
calcium carbonate coatings beneath many clasts,
870b 0-2cm
201
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel (56% >2mm 44% <2mm)
202
loose
203
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
204
carbonate coatings beneath larger clasts
205
diffuse boundary,
870c 2-10cm
301
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel (56% >2mm 44% <2mm)
302
loose
303
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
304
abundant carbonate coatings around larger and smaller clasts
305
diffuse boundary,
870d 10-18cm
401
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel (55% >2mm 44% <2mm)
402
loose
403
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
404
abundant carbonate coatings around larger and smaller clasts
405
sharp boundary,
870e 18-25cm
501
light olive grey to pale olive (5Y 6/2 - 6/3) gravelly sand
502
firmly frozen
503
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
504
many carbonate coatings around larger and smaller clasts
505
diffuse boundary,
870f 25-43
601
light olive grey to pale olive (5Y 6/2 - 6/3) gravelly sand
602
firmly frozen
603
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
604
few carbonate coatings
605
sharp boundary,
870g 43-45cm
701
light olive grey to pale olive (5Y 6/2 - 6/3) gravelly sand
702
very hard
703
ice-cemented
704
on
705
hard ice-cemented ground
No
Hard ice-cemented
43
1
(43cm)
Reason
Long Term Ecological Research (nematode experimental area) site investigation of soil properties; this site (LTER 1) was chosen for daily repeat sampling to |
see if there were measurable changes in soil moisture over the length of the sampling period; this sampling is the fifth at this site |
Descr
LTM Datalogger plot, on the south side of Lake Hoare, approximately 100m south of Lake Hoare, on the lower slope of a ridge which forms part of an |
undulating ridge and gully/basin topography; the soil sampling site was on the south and upslope side of the LTM datalogger plot, which comprises a series of |
plastic cones covering the soil surface; the site has an even, stony gravel surface with slope increasing towards the ridge just to the south; this sampling site is |
designated LTER 1e and was immediately alongside LTER 1d |
Geoland
The deposit is unweathered Ross I till, possibly derived from the Canada Glacier but almost certainly with an up-valley influence because of the presence of |
marble clasts from basement rocks; the tills may be fluvio-glacial owing to complex depositional ice-marginal processes as the sand % generally increases |
downwards while there are noticeably more coarse clasts at the surface |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
87000001
870a
1-0cm
-1
0
1.89
46.00
0.15
12.80
none
87000002
870b
0-2cm
0
2
1.83
77.00
0.20
9.00
none
87000003
870c
2-10cm
2
10
1.80
79.00
0.32
6.20
none
87000004
870d
10-18cm
10
18
1.85
71.00
0.62
7.00
none
87000005
870e
18-25cm
18
25
1.61
61.00
1.38
5.40
none
87000006
870f
25-43cm
25
43
1.38
96.00
2.60
8.90
none
87000007
870g
43-45cm
43
45
94.00
14.45
8.30
none
12-Dec-2005
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