365

Site number:

365

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; an inner distinct lateral moraine ridge approximately 300m NE of the glacier edge; a long smooth sloping ridge with the site 20m east of the ridge crest

Altitude:

600 m

Aspect:

N

Slope:

14 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-22 °C

Frozen ground depth:

125 cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

125cm; >125cm

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 is of an intermediate age in the sequence; volcanic material is more common

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface boulders are up to 1.5m and upstanding but most are smaller; some cavernous weathering and surface exfoliation a weakly to moderately developed pavement surface

Soil

Soil parent material:

Mainly granite and schist derived with more schist than in the other two profiles; probably a lot of recycled material; some small red and black scoria fragments

Previous disturbance:

Site is a previous profile pit by US investigators

Soil weathering stage:

6 2 (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