390

Site number:

390

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1977/11/23

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

The floor of Sessrumnir Valley near a very large sandstone erratic boulder; on a somewhat indistinct loop of moraine that forms a small hillock; a gently sloping surface

Altitude:

1525 m

Aspect:

NE

Slope:

4 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

60 > cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

>60cm

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; Sessrumnir valley has a sequence of moraine surfaces and tills in places with well weathered soils; the relationship between the age of the valley floor soils and those on the granitic till at the valley mouth is unclear but they may be of a similar age

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed large nets which appear inactive

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface boulders not strongly stained, probably due to abrasion, but are well rounded and some faceted; well developed ventiforms and a good surface pavement; some salts beneath surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sandy till from predominantly sandstone

Previous disturbance:

Nil at site but previous activity in the area

Soil weathering stage:

4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Some recent snowfall with a patchy cover; probably some recent surface soil moistening

Biological activity:

Nil observed