248

Site number:

248

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1969/12/12

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Valley floor surface at the head of Long Valley; a series of glacial retreat surfaces with hummocky patterned ground topography; the site is on young moraine near the Long Valley ice tongue

Altitude:

1600 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-35 °C

Frozen ground depth:

13 cm

Frozen type:

Stagnant ice

Frozen comment:

13

Geology

Geological setting:

The valley floor moraines are formed by northward down-valley retreat of ice from Long Valley; moraine patterns are complicated by local ice stranding on the valley sides; the youngest moraine and till deposits are near the glacier margin at the mouth of the valley; moraine composition reflects the geology of local rocks, dominantly granite with some sandstone and dolerite

Patterned ground:

Large well developed nets

Surface weathering or surface features:

Boulders are fresh with little surface staining but some slight abrasion and ventifaction; no salts beneath surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Young bouldery moraine over ice

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Scattered snow patches but no thaw observed

Biological activity:

Nil observed