19

Site number:

19

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/11/02

Reason Sampled:

Weathering examination

Description:

On a beach surface on the northeastern side of Felsite Island; the surface is a beach remnant, about 8m above sea level and has been partly eroded by ice from the Edisto Glacier

Altitude:

8 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-15 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 NoObs

Frozen type:

NoObs

Frozen comment:

NoObs

Geology

Geological setting:

Small remnant coastal beach deposits, formed either through uplift or as a result of higher sea levels, occur just above sea level in places around the coast; the deposits are well sorted, form small flat topped terraces and are derived mainly from metagreywacke rocks of the Robertson Bay Group

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface pebbles and cobbles are mainly subrounded and unstained; the undersides of some stones have small deposits of salt and show minor exfoliation

Soil

Soil parent material:

Subrounded beach gravel

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous, soil moisture derived from occasional snowfalls

Biological activity:

Nil observed