Site Information

Site number:
389
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; this sample is from accumulated wind-blown detritus from the lee of a boulder
Altitude:
1545 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 36' S 160° 49.5' E 77° 36' S 160° 51' E
Latitude Longitude DD -77.600 160.825 -77.600 160.850
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.004 0.008 0.008
Locality Wright Valley at the Western end in the Asgard Range, at the NE end of Koenig Valley, approximately 1.6km N 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:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Frozen comment:

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; erosional material carried by wind accumulates in the lee of boulders and gives an indication of weathering and geomorphic processes; the material is mainly doleritic partly rounded and predominantly altered; its weathering and lack of strong rounding suggests that it is predominantly derived from the exfoliation of local weathering surface dolerite boulders
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
The surface is loose and without a stone pavement; the deposit is essentially unweathered

Soil

Soil parent material:
Granular sandy wind drift forming a small deposit in the lee of a boulder
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Dry
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
389a 0 – 5 cm dark greyish brown (10YR 4/2) granular sand; loose; particles predominantly dolerite and subrounded to subangular with few well rounded quartz grains; dolerite particles mainly moderately stained with most moderately to distinctly altered

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
389 0-5cm 0 5 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
389
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
389 :
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
389 M22/2177 White lid small coarse
389 M22/2178 medium fine
389 M22/7436 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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