Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
896000
896
10-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 9) was selected for repeat sampling to measure changes in soil moisture |
Lake Bonney Quadrangle, Antarctic 1:50,000 Topographic Series, USGS 1975
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
162.8850
-77.6350
77deg 38.10'S
-162deg -53.10'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
3
NNE
90
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
Xerous to subxerous,
-20
Coastal mountain;
Predominantly granite (65%), dolerite (10%) with minor schist, sandstone, marble and scoria; bouldery sandy gravel becoming finer (silty) at depth
Nil observed at site, nematodes present in adjacent soil; some green algae beneath marble clasts in the general area
Irregular net 20m across with trough 1m wide and 20cm deep
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
| Distinct (slight) surface staining on some clasts; also weak exfoliation on a few granite clasts and some weak ventifaction and nil polish; clasts are generally |
| subrounded to subangular; carbonate coatings occur beneath some surface clasts |
Site probably disturbed by foot traffic activity during biological research activities near the site
896a 2-0cm
101
surface pebbles, cobbles and boulders
102
loose
103
weakly developed pavement
104
some slight surface staining
105
clasts subangular to subrounded
106
carbonate coatings around some clasts
107
a few fine white salt flecks
108
diffuse boundary,
896b 0-2cm
201
pale olive (5Y 6/3) pebbly to bouldery sandy gravel (>2mm 57% <2mm 43%)
202
loose
203
well developed vesicular structure
204
rock particles subangular to subrounded with some weak staining
205
many carbonate coatings
206
diffuse boundary
896c 2-15cm
301
pale olive (5Y 6/3) pebbly to bouldery sandy gravel (>2mm 57% <2mm 43%)
302
weakly cohesive
303
weakly developed vesicular structure
304
rock particles subangular to subrounded with larger clasts angular
305
carbonate coatings around many clasts
306
diffuse boundary,
896d 15-25cm
401
pale olive (5Y 6/3) cobbly silty gravel
402
moderately cohesive
403
moderately developed vesicular structure
404
rock particles mainly subangular to angular
405
sharp boundary,
896e 25-33cm
501
pale olive (5Y 6/3) pebbly sandy silt
502
firmly cohesive and frosted
503
moderately developed vesicular structure
504
rock particles subangular
505
sharp boundary
506
896f 33-37cm
601
pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy silt
602
very hard, ice-cemented, on ice-cemented ground
No
Hard ice-cemented
33
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 |
Descr
| Adjacent to the westernmost plot, approximately 225m from Lake Hoare; the site is on the floor of an elongated depression between two low moraine ridges and |
| is 2m to the north of the LTM Algae plot; the surface is slightly concave and is moderately bouldery; this site is immediately adjacent to LTER 9b and |
| designated LTER 9c |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
89600001
896a
2-0cm
-2
0
1.89
62.00
0.16
13.50
none
89600002
896b
0-2cm
0
2
1.86
78.00
0.22
15.90
none
89600003
896c
2-15cm
2
15
1.88
77.00
0.59
18.10
none
89600004
896d
15-25cm
15
25
1.55
71.00
4.53
68.80
none
89600005
896e
25-33cm
25
33
88.00
15.74
58.20
none
89600006
896f
33-37cm
33
37
95.00
11.47
12.20
none
12-Dec-2005
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