14

Site number:

14

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/10/30

Reason Sampled:

Soil characterisation

Description:

On an uneven sloping lateral moraine surface on the south side of an un-named glacier, approx 2km NE of Luther Peak; a young moraine surface 250m from the glacier; site near a polygon centre

Altitude:

50 m

Aspect:

N

Slope:

5 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-16 °C

Frozen ground depth:

25 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

25cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Lateral glacial moraine, possibly ice-cored, deposited by retreat of a local glacier; the moraine marks a late stage in the retreat of an un-named glacier

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed nets

Surface weathering or surface features:

Minor fragmentation of surface rocks, angular and unstained

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery till (up to 2m) comprising metagreywacke of the Robertson Bay Group; till has small pockets of finer textured material

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous to subxerous, some moisture from thawing of patchy snow cover

Biological activity:

Many small patches of moss and lichens