Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
904000
904
13-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
Xerous to subxerous; light snow just beginning to fall at 9 30am
-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
904a 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,
904b 0-2cm
201
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel (57% >2mm 43% <2mm)
202
loose
203
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
204
carbonate coatings beneath larger clasts
205
diffuse boundary,
904c 2-10cm
301
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel (57% >2mm 43% <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,
904d 10-18cm
401
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel (57% >2mm 43% <2mm)
402
lightly frosted at 15cm
403
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
404
abundant carbonate coatings around larger and smaller clasts
405
sharp boundary,
904e 18-25cm
501
light olive grey to pale olive (5Y 6/2 - 6/3) gravelly sand
502
firmly frozen at 19cm
503
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
504
many carbonate coatings around larger and smaller clasts
505
diffuse boundary,
904f 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,
904g 43-47cm
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
44
1
(44cm)
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 eleventh at this site and took place at the start |
of a snowfall event |
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 1k and was immediately alongside LTER 1j |
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 |
90400001
904a
1-0cm
-1
0
1.91
33.00
0.33
28.40
none
90400002
904b
0-2cm
0
2
1.88
75.00
0.27
13.50
none
90400003
904c
2-10cm
2
10
1.90
68.00
0.60
14.90
none
90400004
904d
10-18cm
10
18
1.50
88.00
3.38
16.10
none
90400005
904e
18-25cm
18
25
1.44
84.00
2.46
20.50
none
90400006
904f
25-43cm
25
43
1.48
95.00
2.79
10.30
none
90400007
904g
43-47cm
43
47
91.00
14.29
43.10
none
12-Dec-2005
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