Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
885000
885
8-Dec-1999
IBC
Near Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region, Transantarctic Mountains
| Long Term Ecological Research (nematode experimental area) site investigation of soil properties; this site |
| (LTER 3) was chosen for repeat sampling to measure changes in soil moisture content |
Lake Bonney Quadrangle, Antarctic 1:50,000 Topographic Series, USGS 1975
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
162.8810
-77.6328
77deg 37.97'S
-162deg -52.86'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
7
NE
90
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
1
12.5
5
8.2
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 20m net with 30cm deep trough and 1m wide
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
| A few clasts slightly oxidised and some weak ventifaction wind ripple on a few rock surfaces ; weak exfoliation on a few granite clasts; grey calcium |
| carbonate coatings abundant beneath many surface clasts |
Site probably disturbed by foot traffic activity during biological research activities near the site
885a 1-0cm
101
cobbly bouldery sandy gravel (50% >2mm 50% < 2mm)
102
loose
103
a few clasts with weak staining
104
coarse particles subangular and small particles rounded
105
carbonate coatings beneath some clasts,
885b 0-2cm
201
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly bouldery sandy gravel
202
loose
203
rock particles unweathered with larger rock particles subangular and smaller particles rounded
204
abundant carbonate coatings
205
diffuse boundary,
885c 2-10cm
301
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly bouldery sandy gravel
302
loose
303
rock particles unweathered with larger rock particles subangular and smaller particles rounded
304
many carbonate coatings
305
indistinct boundary,
885d 10-15cm
401
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly bouldery sandy gravel
402
loose to weakly cohesive
403
unweathered with larger rock particles subangular and smaller particles rounded to subrounded
404
many carbonate coatings
405
distinct boundary.
885e 15-30cm
501
light olive grey to pale olive (5Y 6/2 - 6/3) cobbly bouldery sandy gravel
502
weakly cohesive and moist
503
unweathered with larger rock particles subangular and smaller particles rounded to subrounded
504
many carbonate coatings
505
diffuse boundary,
885f 30-41cm
601
light olive grey to pale olive (5Y 6/2 - 6/3) sandy to silty gravel
602
moderately cohesive and frosted
603
unweathered with larger rock particles subangular and smaller particles rounded to subrounded
604
few carbonate coatings
605
sharp boundary,
885g 41-43cm
701
light olive grey to pale olive (5Y 6/2 - 6/3) stony sandy to silty gravel
702
hard ice-cemented, on ice-cemented ground
No
Hard ice-cemented
40
1
(40cm)
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 |
Descr
| North side of the LTM Datalogger plot, 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 site is at the foot of a low bouldery ridge; this sampling site is designated LTER 3c and was approximately 20m to the north of |
| LTER 1 |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
88500001
885a
1-0cm
-1
0
1.89
47.00
0.18
17.10
none
88500002
885b
0-2cm
0
2
1.87
63.00
0.22
27.10
none
88500003
885c
2-10cm
2
10
1.85
75.00
0.42
19.70
none
88500004
885d
10-15cm
10
15
1.54
65.00
1.90
14.80
none
88500005
885e
15-30cm
15
30
1.68
77.00
2.80
21.60
none
88500006
885f
30-41cm
30
41
94.00
3.05
36.30
none
88500007
885g
41-43cm
41
43
99.00
16.57
28.20
none
12-Dec-2005
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