Site Information

Site number:
317
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1972/11/20
Reason Sampled:
Soil sequence weathering examination
Description:
On the SE side of Lake Bonney, immediately adjacent to and near the snout of the Hughes Glacier; a bouldery surface which forms part of a series (2nd) of moraine loops alongside the Hughes Glacier marking glacial retreat stages; the site is on a shallow, sloping, bouldery moraine loop approximately 40m from the glacier edge
Altitude:
360 m
Aspect:
NW
Slope:
10 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 43.7' S 162° 27.4' E 77° 43.6' S 162° 27' E
Latitude Longitude DD -77.7283 162.4570 -77.7267 162.450
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.008
Locality Taylor Dry Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region near Lake Bonney
Survey USGS 1:50,000 Antarctic Topo. Ser. Lake Bonney Quadrangle

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-23 °C
Frozen ground depth:
10 > cm
Frozen type:
Frozen comment:
>10cm

Geology

Geological setting:
Alpine glaciers show clear geomorphic evidence of former advance and retreat stages with a series of small closely spaced ridges or terminal moraines over about 100m indicating the former glacier position; weathering increases with distance away from the glacier, suggesting that there may be a considerable age difference between the moraine surfaces; this surface is clearly more weathered than the surface nearer to the glacier
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Some boulders are up to 2m high and have slight cavernous weathering; boulder rounding, some fracturing and exfoliation are present; there is some slight surface staining

Soil

Soil parent material:
Very bouldery granitic till with minor dolerite; there may be some reworked material
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
The site is dry with no snow drift or glacier runoff
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
317a 0 – 5 cm light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) bouldery sandy gravel; loose; rock particles angular to subangular and unstained; indistinct boundary, on bouldery sandy gravel

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
317 0-5cm 0 5 No
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
317 8.4 2.8 1.8 3.7 0.2 7.5 0.4 0.3 1.7 .  
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
317 29.9 16.4 40.0 5.9 2.8 3.0 1.8 0.2 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
317 55.0 . . . 25.0 . . 20.0 . . . . . . :
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
317 M22/1745 medium coarse
317 M22/1746 White lid small fine
317 M22/7241 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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