217

Site number:

217

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1969/11/25

Reason Sampled:

Salt composition examination

Description:

On a steep NW sloping talus slope, about mid slope

Altitude:

1900 m

Aspect:

NW

Slope:

33 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-38 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

Steep slopes in this locality have the appearance of scree slopes but in reality may be thin till deposits in some places overlying stagnant ice; weakly expressed moraine ridges cross the slopes in places; the debris is very loose and unstable and readily slides on the underlying smooth ice surface where it is present; the absence of rock material from ridgetop exposures strongly suggests a moraine origin for these slope materials

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Some weak staining on upper surfaces of boulders but most rocks are angular and unstained

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery morainal gravel

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Small scattered snow patches; no indication of liquid moisture

Biological activity:

Nil Observed