Ross Sea Region Soil Sites
919000
919
16-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; no snow remaining from snowfall of 13/12/99
-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
919a 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,
919b 0-2cm
201
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel
202
loose
203
larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles rounded to subrounded
204
carbonate coatings beneath larger clasts
205
diffuse boundary,
919c 2-10cm
301
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel
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,
919d 10-18cm
401
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel
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,
919e 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,
919f 25-45
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,
919g 45-49cm
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
45
1
(45cm)
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 1n and was immediately alongside LTER 1m |
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 |
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 fourteenth (and last of the series) at this site; |
this sampling includes some split H2O content determinations for the <2mm and >2mm fractions for 2 horizons |
Soluble Salt |
Concentration |
91900001
919a
1-0cm
-1
0
1.94
38.00
0.20
31.80
none
91900002
919b
0-2cm
0
2
1.90
74.00
0.29
32.10
none
91900003
919h>2mm
0-10cm
0
10
0.64
>2mm
91900003
919i<2mm
0-10cm
0
10
0.34
<2mm
91900004
919c
2-10cm
2
10
1.65
83.00
1.61
22.50
none
91900005
919d
10-18cm
10
18
1.48
83.00
3.40
14.50
none
91900006
919j>2mm
10-22cm
10
22
2.26
>2mm
91900006
919k<2mm
10-22cm
10
22
1.35
<2mm
91900007
919e
18-25cm
18
25
1.60
88.00
1.89
11.70
none
91900008
919f
25-45cm
25
45
1.50
92.00
2.63
12.80
none
91900009
919g
45-49cm
45
49
85.00
12.31
25.90
none
12-Dec-2005
Page 894 of 896
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