266

Site number:

266

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1969/12/29

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Near the summit of a peak on a ridge, immediately north of the Cox Peaks; an even sloping surface 5m below a snow patch and adjacent to granite rock outcrops

Altitude:

1575 m

Aspect:

W

Slope:

12 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-35 °C

Frozen ground depth:

30 > cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

>30cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Granite bedrock outcrops nearby with scattered surface boulders forming a thin patchy drift cover

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Strong exfoliation of surface boulders which are well rounded and crumbly and stained; surface soil layer is crumbly exfoliate overlying well weathered finer material; extensive salt encrustations beneath some clasts;

Soil

Soil parent material:

Granitic slope debris and weathered material infilling spaces between bedrock boulders

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 4/5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Adjacent snow patch but no direct thaw or water runoff; some thawing of snow observed adjacent to some darker rocks

Biological activity:

Nil observed