308

Site number:

308

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1972/11/18

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Approximately 2.75km NW from the NE end of Lake Bonney, near the Matterhorn; at the edge of a small volcanic cone above a till covered bench

Altitude:

950 m

Aspect:

E

Slope:

1 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-23 °C

Frozen ground depth:

50 > cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

>50cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Volcanic cones occur in numerous places in Taylor Valley and range in age to 3.2my; they provide dating benchmarks for the glacial events as they postdate some glacial episodes; the volcanic deposits are principally small scoria cones rather than flows

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

The scoria is fragmented mainly pebble to cobble sized and subrounded to subangular with little surface weathering features; some small granite boulder erratics have probably been transported by adjacent glaciers; salts beneath some surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Black volcanic scoria forming a cinder cone with inclusions of bedrock granite

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

A dry site; greater absorption of solar radiation results in warmer and drier soils at these sites

Biological activity:

Nil observed