388

Site number:

388

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1977/11/23

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

An eroded sandstone bench surface on the NE side of Koenig Valley overlain with a dolerite and sandstone cobble pavement

Altitude:

1545 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

20 > cm

Frozen type:

Bedrock frozen

Frozen comment:

>20cm

Geology

Geological setting:

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; a sandstone surface on the NE side of Koenig Valley has a veneer of dolerite and sandstone cobbles that have protected the underlying sandstone from erosion; the soil section shows a nice example of bedrock fragmentation resulting from old patterned ground activity

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed old bedrock polygon cracks

Surface weathering or surface features:

A well developed cobble/pebble pavement of dolerite and sandstone; moderately developed ventiforms; dolerite clasts with strong staining and polish; coarse grained dolerite clasts are crumbled and fine grained clasts have moderate surface pitting; surface rocks are rounded to subrounded

Soil

Soil parent material:

Dolerite and sandstone over weathered sandstone and sandstone bedrock

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 4/5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Snow cover from a recent fall with surface moistening to around 1cm

Biological activity:

Nil observed