298

Site number:

298

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1970/01/15

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

McDonald Nunataks at the extreme north and east side of the Amundsen Glacier on a low recently exposed till surface towards the eastern end

Altitude:

310 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

7 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-20 °C

Frozen ground depth:

7 cm

Frozen type:

Ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

7cm

Geology

Geological setting:

The area has a complex and variable sequence of rocks including metasedimentary quartzite, marbles, schists, and granitised sediments; the rocks at this site are dominantly granitic

Patterned ground:

Surface weathering or surface features:

Rocks are partly fragmented bedrock and have insignificant weathering features; the till is very recent

Soil

Soil parent material:

Till from dominantly metasedimentary rock

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Soils are moist and there is much local snow thaw

Biological activity:

Black lichens and other lichen species