363

Site number:

363

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1972/12/10

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

On the SE side of the Wright Valley on the NE side of the Meserve Glacier; on the furthermost distinct moraine ridge approximately 400m NE of the glacier edge; a long smooth sloping low relief ridge

Altitude:

600 m

Aspect:

N

Slope:

18 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-22 °C

Frozen ground depth:

160 cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

160cm; >160cm

Geology

Geological setting:

The site is part of a moraine sequence associated with former advances of the Meserve Glacier, an alpine glacier; moraines closest to the glacier have more distinct topography and moraine form; moraines are dated by the inclusion of debris from volcanic cones in the neve area; this moraine surface may be alpine 3 estimated to be between 3.6 and 2.2my

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface boulders are crumbled and reduced; some ventiforms in harder doleritic rocks; surface oxidation not pronounced

Soil

Soil parent material:

Mainly granite and schist sandy gravel till with some gneiss and dolerite

Previous disturbance:

Site previously disturbed by US investigations and the profile pit site was open

Soil weathering stage:

3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous to subxerous; little water available from snow melt but occasionally from light summer snow falls;

Biological activity:

Nil observed