354

Site number:

354

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1972/12/08

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

On the floor of Wright Valley, approximately 1.5km SW of Lake Vanda; on a high valley floor moraine bench surface and about 250m out from the valley side slopes; the site is on a slight rise away from any possible accession of material from the valley sides; a slightly uneven surface with minor hummocks and shallow gullies

Altitude:

275 m

Aspect:

N

Slope:

4 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-23 °C

Frozen ground depth:

75 > cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

>75cm

Geology

Geological setting:

The tills of Wright Valley have derived from a complex sequence of movements of ice both up and down valley; on the lower valley surfaces the tills at the W end are thought to originate from former advance of the Wright Upper Glacier glacial activity in Wright Valley; this till may represent one of the most eastward of the latest sequence of upper Wright Valley deposits

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed broad nets with 50cm troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface staining and polish is weak; some faceting and exfoliation is moderately advanced; coarse grained dolerite and granite are partly crumbled; a moderately developed cobble/pebble pavement with few scattered boulders

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sandy gravel till from predominantly granite and dolerite; fine materials are possible pre-weathered

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Dry site, no snow patches

Biological activity:

Nil observed