261

Site number:

261

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1969/12/28

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Eastern end of the Cox Peaks range in a small NE trending hanging valley, about 150m above the ice level, on the valley floor and on a small moraine ridge;

Altitude:

1200 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

65 > cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

>65cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Argillaceous sediments and volcanic and acid volcanic rocks, comprising conglomerates and breccias and intruded by granites occur in the area; the valley was formerly invaded by Ross Ice Shelf ice which entered the Cox Peaks basin to level of around 1550m; the hanging valleys are part of a former landscape that has been invaded by later ice advances; ice has retreated out of the valley leaving older soils and deposits at higher levels

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface boulders show some weak staining; minor exfoliation; few diffuse salts beneath some clasts

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery granitic till with occasional dolerite

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Scattered snow patches but no liquid thaw observed; probably some occasional surface soil moistening

Biological activity:

Nil observed