Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
917000
917
15-Dec-1999
IBC
Arena Valley, upper Taylor Glacier McMurdo Dry Valley region, Transantarctic Mountains;
Soil examination of a potential LTER site in Arena Valley
Ross Island and Vicinity 1:250 000; US Geological Survey 1986
CS Pro & Lscp
Yes
160.9950
-77.8592
77deg 51.55'S
-160deg -59.70'E
cf. Notes for DESCR below
0
Nil
1,575
cf. Notes for GEOLAND below
subxerous; a dry site with no adjacent snow patches
-28
Inland mountain
bouldery sandy till from dolerite and sandstone with the fine fraction mainly derived from sandstone
Nil observed
Nil
| SURFACE WEATHERING or |
| SURFACE FEATURES |
cf. Notes for SURFWEA below
Nil
917a 3-0cm
101
surface cobbles
102
pebbles and small boulder pavement
103
clasts predominantly subangular and ventiform with well developed staining and polish on unabraided surfaces
104
salts beneath many surface clasts
105
sharp boundary,
917b 0-2cm
201
very pale brown to light yellowish brown (10YR 7/4 - 6/4) pebbly granular sand
202
moderately cohesive and partly salt cemented
203
many salt precipitations around larger clasts
204
dolerite particles stained and many altered with yellowish red colours
205
larger particles mainly subangular to subrounded but smaller particles mainly rounded to subrounded
206
irregular boundary,
917c 2-6cm
301
very pale brown (10YR 8/3) granular sandy silt
302
firmly cohesive and salt cemented
303
salts forming distinct white aggregates
304
rock particles mainly subrounded and some stained and altered
305
diffuse boundary,
917d 6-15cm
401
very pale brown (10YR 8/3) granular silty sand with some cobbles
402
weakly to moderately cohesive
403
larger rock particles mainly angular sandstone and unstained
404
diffuse boundary,
917e 15-35cm
501
very pale brown (10YR 8/3) cobbly silty sand
502
weakly cohesive
503
a few salts around some clasts
504
rock particles mainly subangular and unstained
505
diffuse boundary, on loose very pale brown gravelly silty sand
Yes
Dry frozen
0
4
Descr
| The southern end of Arena Valley, about half way between Taylor Glacier and Alter Mountain, on low hummocky moraine near the foot of a short low snow |
| covered slope; the site area is gently undulating with scattered fragmented large (1-2m) dolerite boulders; the surface has a patchy appearance with variable |
| amounts pale sandstone or dark dolerite at the surface |
Geoland
| Arena Valley is a very old valley with Miocene aged tills on the valley floor; the tills generally become younger to the north having been derived through |
| advances from Taylor Valley; the local rocks are Beacon Sandstone and Ferrar Dolerite; these are present in the till which appears to be locally derived as there |
| is no sign of any erratics |
Surfwea
| A cobble boulder pavement with some upstanding (75cm) fragmented dolerite; strong staining on dolerite with some pitting and exfoliation on corse grained |
| clasts; strongly developed ventiforms; well developed polish and some rounding due to abrasion; thick salt accumulations beneath many surface clasts |
| Soluble Salt |
| Concentration |
91700001
917a
3-0cm
-3
0
1.55
23.00
0.30
54.70
none
91700002
917b
0-2cm
0
2
1.63
0.48
31.50
none
91700003
917c
2-6cm
2
6
0.86
96.00
5.55
11,100.00
none
91700004
917d
6-15cm
6
15
1.35
81.00
0.60
818.00
none
91700005
917e
15-35cm
15
35
1.58
48.00
0.69
953.00
none
12-Dec-2005
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