Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
905000
905
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
7
NE
90
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
Xerous to subxerous (irrigated); surface has a light snow cover from an ongoing snowfall |
event; snow removed from ground surface for sampling by blowing away |
-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
905a 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
905b 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,
905c 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,
905d 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, on 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 twelth 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 2L 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 |
90500001
905a
0-2cm
0
2
1.95
52.00
0.44
7.00
none
90500002
905b
2-5cm
2
5
1.67
85.00
0.90
12.20
none
90500003
905c
5-13cm
5
13
1.43
82.00
1.81
7.10
none
90500004
905d
13-18cm
13
18
1.57
75.00
2.05
6.90
none
12-Dec-2005
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