Approximately 6.7 km NNE of Mount Blackburn at the head of Long Valley, on a high altitude, westward trending, Beacon Sandstone broad ridge; the site is a broad bench on a surface forming a platform, just above granitic rocks and the Kukri Peneplane
Altitude:
2250 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
86° 12' S 146° 40' W
86° 12' S 146° 40' W
Latitude Longitude DD
-86.200 -146.67
-86.200 -146.67
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.008 0.08
0.008 0.08
Locality
Scott Glacier region, southern Trans-antarctic Mountains on the Watson Escarpment
Survey
US Geological Survey 1:250 000 1968, Mount Blackburn
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Inland Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-40
°C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Frozen comment:
Geology
Geological setting:
The sedimentary sequence is about 550m of Beacon Group rocks overlying the Kukri Peneplane cut in granite basement; The sediments are generally quartzitic sandstones and silty shale with occasional conglomerate; dolerite intrusive rocks cap the ridge top; this sample site is near the base of the sedimentary sequence
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Between bedrock exposures are thin patchy accumulations of disaggregated sandstone; There are large Beacon rocks scattered over the surface; wind erosion is evident from the occurrence of rocking stones and 1-1.5m of sandstone may have been removed; weathered soil is present in rock fissures; some of the sandstone has been altered due to intrusions
Soil
Soil parent material:
Weathered disaggregated sandstone with minor dolerite and other crystalline rock fragments
salts from the sides of rocks in the cleft and from beneath surface stones
242a
0
–
5
cm
very pale brown to light yellowish brown (10YR 7/4 - 6/4) sandy granule and pebble gravel between fractured bedrock; loose; rock particles angular and unstained but some altered and crumbly; sharp boundary, on bedrock