244

Site number:

244

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1969/12/10

Reason Sampled:

Salt sample

Description:

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 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-35 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

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; salts on the surface of boulders are quite widespread

Soil

Soil parent material:

Disaggregated granite and thin granitic till

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Some snow patches but no thawing observed; some occasional soil moistening indicated by a vesicular soil crust

Biological activity:

Nil observed