Site Information

Site number:
29
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1964/11/03
Reason Sampled:
Soil characterisation
Description:
A low angle slope adjacent to an extensive snowbank with bedrock fragmentation occurring through frost action
Altitude:
500 m
Aspect:
N
Slope:
10 °
Location Data
Observer IBC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 72° 26' S 169° 58' E
Latitude Longitude DD -72.433 169.967
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.008
Locality Northern Victoria Land near Hallett Peninsula; at Redcastle Ridge between the Arneb and Edisto Glaciers
Survey MZMS 166; 1960 Tucker Glacier

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Coastal Antarctic
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-18 °C
Frozen ground depth:
20 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
20cm

Geology

Geological setting:
Flow basalt of the McMurdo Volcanics Group is interbedded with scoriaceous basalt and tuffite
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed small nets (.5-1.5m) with fines concentrated in the centres
Surface weathering or surface features:
Angular surface pebbles and cobbles

Soil

Soil parent material:
Dark coloured and coarse textured fragmented flow basalt forming a veneer of frost shattered material
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Oceanic subxerous, moisture from thawing of intermittent surface snow cover
Biological activity:
scattered small patches of orange lichen
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
29a 0 – 5 cm dark grey to very dark grey (2.5Y N4/-N3/) pebble gravel; loose; some rock particles with thin white salt coatings; rock particles angular; distinct boundary,
29b 5 – 10 cm very dark grey (2.5Y N3/) pebble gravel; loose; slightly moist; rock particles angular; distinct boundary,
29c 10 – 20 cm very dark grey (2.5Y N3/) sandy pebble gravel; firmly frosted, on frozen ground

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
29a 0-5cm 0.0 5.0
29b 5-10cm 5.0 10.0
29c 10-20cm 10.0 20.0
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
29a 7.8 0.15 <0.1 <0.1 0.01 <0.05 <0.1 <0.05 . 0.02  
29b 7.4 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 0.01 <0.05 <0.1 <0.05 . 0.02  
29c 7.5 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 0.01 <0.05 <0.1 <0.05 . 0.02  
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
29a 17 94.0 3.1 1.0 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.1 0.3 .
29b 22 74.3 13.2 7.9 1.0 1.4 1.7 0.2 0.3 .
29c 52 43.5 18.6 18.7 5.0 6.6 6.9 0.5 0.4 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
29a 5.0 . . . . . . . . . . . 10.0 . glasses and short range order minerals
29b 5.0 . . . . . . . . . . . 10.0 . glasses and short range order minerals
29c 5.0 . . . . . . . . . . . 10.0 . glasses and short range order minerals
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
29b M22/0503 large coarse
29b M22/0504 White lid small fine
29b M22/6744 Glass vial metal lid
29c M22/0505 medium coarse
29c M22/0506 White lid small fine
29c M22/6745 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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