A small granitic nunatak in Long Valley approximately 8.5km NNW of Mount Blackburn; from the top of the rounded hill
Altitude:
1600 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
86° 13.2' S 147° 453.72' W
86° 13.2' S 147° 453.7' W
Latitude Longitude DD
-86.2200 -147.56200
-86.2200 -147.5617
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.0008 0.00008
0.0008 0.0008
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:
-35
°C
Frozen ground depth:
20 > cm
Frozen type:
dry frozen
Frozen comment:
>20cm
Geology
Geological setting:
The hill is a nunatak of granite about 100m above the glacier level; the granite is strongly jointed breaking up into large blocks; there is little evidence of erratics other than granite
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Surface boulders show some rounding and surface staining; moderate surface exfoliation; accumulations of fines mainly in rock clefts
Some snow patches but no thawing observed; some occasional soil moistening indicated by a vesicular soil crust
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
243a
0
–
4
cm
light yellowish brown to very pale brown (10YR 6/4 - 7/4) sandy granular gravel; weakly cohesive with some fines cohering to larger rock fragments; moderately developed vesicular structure; rock particles angular with some weakly stained; distinct boundary,
243b
4
–
10
cm
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) granular sandy gravel; loose; a few fine salt flecks; rock particles angular with some distinct but light surface staining; sharp boundary, on bedrock