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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:
6
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: 1.0.124
Copyright Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research © 1996 - 2023