Site Information

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 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 35.6' S 160° 50.2' E 77° 36' S 160° 52' E
Latitude Longitude DD -77.5933 160.8370 -77.600 160.867
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.0008 0.0008 0.008 0.008
Locality Wright Valley at the Western end in the Asgard Range, at the NE end of Koenig Valley, approximately 1.7km NE of Mt Freya
Survey USGS, Antarctica 1:50,000 Topo. Ser. 1977 Labyrinth Antarctica

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
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
388a -2 – 0 cm surface cobbles and pebbles (moist) largely tabular with strong staining and pitting; many sand grains weakly adhering together; dolerite particles distinctly stained and many partly altered,
388b 0 – 2 cm yellowish brown to brownish yellow (10YR 5/8 - 6/8) granular sand; loose to weakly cohesive; sand particles mainly quartzose and with distinct surface oxide colouring; indistinct boundary,
388c 2 – 12 cm yellow (2.5Y 7/6) sand; moderately cohesive; sand particles rounded and only weakly stained; distinct sandstone ghost splinters in an adjacent old patterned ground crack with the patterned ground crack infilled with mixed sandstone and doleritic material; indistinct boundary,
388d 12 – 20 cm pale yellow (2.5Y 7/6) sand; firmly cohesive disaggregating sandstone; sand particles rounded and weakly stained; sharp boundary, on partly altered sandstone bedrock

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
388a 2-0cm -2.0 0.0 No
388b 0-2cm 0.0 2.0 No
388c 2-12cm 2.0 12.0 No
388d 12-20cm 12.0 20.0 No
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
388a
388b
388c
388d
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
388a :
388b :
388c :
388d :
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
388a M22/2171 medium coarse
388a M22/2172 White lid small fine
388a M22/7432 Glass vial metal lid
388b M22/2173 White lid small coarse
388b M22/2174 medium fine
388b M22/7433 Glass vial metal lid
388c M22/2175 medium fine
388c M22/7434 Glass vial metal lid
388d M22/2176 medium fine
388d M22/7435 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
Loading...