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Site Information Site number:
343 Authors:
IBC, GGC Date recorded:
1972/12/02 Reason Sampled:
Soil weathering examination Description:
South side of the Labyrinth, upper Wright Valley; a soil from a salty basin in one of the dissected channelways Altitude:
775 m Aspect:
Nil Slope:
0 ° Location Data Observer IBC GGC GPS No Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 34.0' S 160° 49' E 77° 34' S 160° 49' E Latitude Longitude DD -77.567 160.817 -77.567 160.817 Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.008 0.008 0.008 Locality Wright Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley region Survey USGS 1:50,000 Antarctic Topo. Ser. Labyrinth Quadrangle
Climate Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-25
°C Frozen ground depth:
0 cm Frozen type:
Frozen comment:
Geology Geological setting:
The Labyrinth is a fossil erosional landscape with a complex geomorphic and glacial history; there is scarcely any till in the channelised landscape but there are accumulations of slope debris and wind drift materials; some parts of the landscape have no external drainage and salts accumulate in small basins Patterned ground:
Nil Surface weathering or surface features:
Surface salt efflorescences Soil Soil parent material:
Sandy clayey alluvium/colluvium Previous disturbance:
Nil Soil weathering stage:
3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975) Soil moisture status:
A moist site with wet soil Biological activity:
Nil observed Profile Description Horizon Depth Description 343a 0 – 5 cm brown to dark brown to yellowish red (7.5YR 4/4 - 5YR 4/6) silty sandy gravel; diffuse salts precipitated at the soils surface; slightly sticky; moderately cohesive; silty clay coatings on many rock particles; rock particles subangular, unstained and unaltered but partly crumbly
Sample Data Physical Data Sample name Depth description Top (cm) Base (cm) Bulk Density Dry Bulk Density Gravimetric Moisture Vol. Moisture (BD=2) 343 0-5cm 0 5 No
Sample solution chemistry Sample name pH Na meq/100g Ca meq/100g Mg meq/100g K meq/100g Cl meq/100g SO4 meq/100g NO3 meq/100g EC mmho/cmSoluble Salt Notes 343 . 18.5 1.6 11.7 1.6 21.1 3.2 8.4 5.4 .
Particle size distribution Sample name < 2 mm 2 - 0.5 mm 0.5 - 0.25 mm 0.25 - 0.1 mm 0.1 - 0.05 mm 0.05 - 0.02 mm 0.02 - 0.002 mm < 0.002 mm Fe2 O3 CaCO3 Notes 343 31.4 32.5 14.3 1.5 1.2 1.4 17.0 0.53 .
Clay Mineralogy Sample name Mica IHM HIV - IHM ICHL VT HIV CHL SM CHL SM FE - CHL HT QTZ FLD HB CAL Notes 343 :
National Soil Archive Samples Sample name NSA Sample Id Container type Fraction type 343 M22/1873 White lid small coarse 343 M22/1874 medium fine 343 M22/7305 Glass vial metal lid
Photos Photo record:
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Antarctic Soils Explorer Copyright Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research © 1996 - 2023
Version: 1.0.146
Copyright Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research © 1996 - 2023