Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
894000
894
10-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
162.8820
-77.6332
77deg 37.99'S
-162deg -52.92'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
7
NE
90
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
Xerous to subxerous (irrigated) surface dry
-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 net 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
894a 0-2cm
101
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly sandy gravel
102
moist
103
loose
104
rock particles unweathered with larger particles subangular and smaller particles rounded
105
abundant calcium carbonate coatings
106
indistinct boundary
894b 2-5cm
201
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly sandy gravel
202
moist
203
rock particles unweathered and larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded
204
abundant carbonate coatings
205
diffuse boundary,
894c 5-13cm
301
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly sandy gravel
302
moist
303
rock particles unweathered and larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded
304
abundant carbonate coatings
305
sharp boundary,
894d 13-18cm
401
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly sandy gravel
402
moist
403
loose
404
unweathered and larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
405
abundant carbonate coatings
406
indistinct boundary,
894e 18-25cm
501
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly sandy gravel
502
moist
503
loose
504
unweathered and larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
505
indistinct boundary,
894f 25-30cm
601
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) cobbly sandy gravel
602
moist
603
loose
604
unweathered and larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
605
sharp boundary, on firmly frozen sandy gravel
No
Nd
0
1
(Nd)
Reason
Long Term Ecological Research (nematode experimental area) site investigation of soil properties; this site (LTER 2) was chosen for daily repeat sampling to |
measure changes in soil moisture content after irrigation of a meter square plot with 14 litres of water; this was the tenth sampling after the initial irrigation |
Descr
15m southeast of 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 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 2j and |
was approximately 10m to the southeast of LTER 1 |
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 |
89400001
894a
0-2cm
0
2
1.93
67.00
0.30
7.60
none
89400002
894b
2-5cm
2
5
1.52
86.00
1.07
6.60
none
89400003
894c
5-13cm
5
13
1.41
80.00
1.91
7.10
none
89400004
894d
13-18cm
13
18
1.47
79.00
1.48
5.70
none
89400005
894e
18-25cm
18
25
1.54
85.00
1.92
7.80
none
89400006
894f
25-30cm
25
30
1.61
72.00
1.80
7.90
none
12-Dec-2005
Page 869 of 896
894