Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
903000
903
11-Dec-1999
IBC
Near Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region, Transantarctic Mountains; at the eastern end of Andrews Ridge
| Comparison of a soil outside the Lake Hoare LTER experimental area and with a different topographic |
| setting with those at the LTER site |
Lake Bonney Quadrangle, Antarctic 1:50,000 Topographic Series, USGS 1975
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
162.8240
-77.6503
77deg 39.02'S
-162deg -49.44'E
| Approximately 1.2k south of Lake Hoare and 2.1km ESE of Suess Glacier; on a sloping ridge surface; a broad undulating ridge surface with minor knolls; the site is several |
| metres below a small knoll |
8
E
520
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
Xerous to subxerous; a dry site with no adjacent snow patches
-23
Coastal mountain;
Mixed lithology sandy stony gravel till (granite 40% up to 1.2m, gneiss 25% up to 45cm, dolerite 20% up to 30cm, basalt 5%)
Nil observed
Nil
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
cf. Notes for SURFWEA below
Some old footprinting and soil pit examination sites in the general vicinity but nil observed at the site
903a 1-0cm
101
surface boulders, cobbles, pebbles and sand
102
weakly stained
103
some white salt precipitaions beneath surface clasts
104
few white salts beneath some clasts
105
subangular to subrounded
106
sharp boundary,
903b 0-1cm
201
pale olive to light yellowish brown (5Y 6/3 - 2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
202
loose
203
few fine white salt precipitations dominantly on stone undersides
204
rock particles subangular to rounded
205
sharp boundary,
903c 1-7cm
301
pale olive to light yellowish brown (5Y 6/3 - 2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
302
moderately cohesive
303
moderately developed vesicular structure
304
some rock particles weakly stained and subangular to subrounded
305
a few small ghosts sharp boundary,
903d 7-13cm
401
pale olive to light yellowish brown (5Y 6/3 - 2.5Y 6/4) sandy gravel
402
firmly cohesive
403
salt cemented with abundant salt precipitations
404
rock particles mainly subangular and a few weakly stained
405
diffuse boundary,
903e 13-32cm
501
pale olive to light yellowish brown (5Y 6/3 - 2.5Y 6/4) cobbly sandy gravel
502
weakly to moderately cohesive
503
a few clasts with carbonate coatings
504
rock particles mainly subangular to subrounded
505
diffuse boundary,
903f 32-36cm
601
pale olive to light yellowish brown (5Y 6/3 - 2.5Y 6/4) cobbly sandy gravel
602
weakly to moderately cohesive
603
rock particles unstained and dominantly subangular to subrounded
604
on loose sandy gravel
Yes
Nd
0
2/3
(Nd)
Surfwea
| Weak to moderate surface staining; some pitting and moderte to strong exfoliation; moderate to strong ventiforms and ssome weaak polish; many clasts angular |
| to subangular but some subrounded; weak carbonate coating but distinctive salt accumulations beneath surface stones |
Geoland
| Bedrock (granite, schist/gneiss, dolerite) outcrops on the ridge in places but the ridge is mostly covered with till; the till appears older than Ross I, perhaps |
| equivalent to weathering stage III; the presence of basalt clasts indicates an age younger than the basalt outcrops in Taylor Valley; some very large granite |
| erratics occur further to the west |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
90300001
903a
1-0cm
-1
0
1.93
47.00
0.23
150.00
none
90300002
903b
0-1cm
0
1
1.50
77.00
0.59
651.00
none
90300003
903c
1-7cm
1
7
1.61
78.00
0.85
487.00
none
90300004
903d
7-13cm
7
13
1.04
78.00
7.16
7,400.00
none
90300005
903e
13-32cm
13
32
1.45
75.00
2.04
440.00
none
90300006
903f
32-36cm
32
36
1.48
80.00
2.12
349.00
none
12-Dec-2005
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