A slightly lower elevation moraine surface at the foot of a prominent moraine lobe that marks an earlier distinct ice advance; an uneven patterned ground covered surface
Altitude:
1600 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 36.3' S 160° 45' E
77° 36.3' S 160° 45' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.6050 160.75
-77.6050 160.75
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.0008 0.04
0.0008 0.04
Locality
Wright Valley at the Western end in the Asgard Range, at the SW end of Koenig Valley, approximately 0.8km SE of Mt Thor
The Asgard Range is comprised of Beacon Sandstone and Ferrar Dolerite; the landscape is ancient with the high altitude valley cirques cut in pre Miocene time; subsequent glaciation has been restricted mainly to valley head cirque type activity; the glacial deposits represent accumulations of local head wall materials which have probably been weathered in place before incorporation into local glaciers; differences in moraine topography are accompanied by differences in soils on the differing surfaces this surface is the third oldest geomorphic surface
Patterned ground:
Well developed with cracks up to 1m deep
Surface weathering or surface features:
Surface boulders moderately rounded and up to 75cm with some fracturing and fragmentation; moderate surface oxidation with patchy reddish oxidation; few salts beneath some surface clasts
Recent 3 cm snowfall with some thawing and water films on rock surfaces and some moistening of the soil surface
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
384a
-2 – 0 cm
surface boulders, cobbles and granular gravel; rounded to subrounded and mostly distinctly stained; some weak exfoliation; some smaller particles are distinctly altered,
384b
0 – 15 cm
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy gravel; loose; rock particles mainly sub rounded with some moderately stained and partly altered; sharp boundary,
384c
0 – 15 cm
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy gravel; weakly cohesive and weakly developed vesicular structure; larger rock particles mainly angular and unstained but smaller particles stained and partly altered; indistinct boundary;
384d
12 – 35 cm
brown to dark brown (10YR 4/3) sandy gravel; weakly cohesive; few fine salt flecks; larger rock particles subangular with smaller particles subrounded partly stained and altered; sharp boundary,