395

Site number:

395

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1977/11/25

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

A flat surface in a depression at the northern end of the floor of Koenig Valley with some very slightly raised patches; a completely enclosed basin and salty hollow; the site is near the centre of the hollow

Altitude:

1440 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

15 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

15cm

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; hollows or enclosed basins are found in many locations, often behind a ridge of moraine; they are commonly salty having slowly accumulated salts over a very long time; the salts in these basins provide clues to Antarctic geochemical history; the soils typically have olive colours and a greater than normal clay content

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed broad nets

Surface weathering or surface features:

A well developed pebble pavement surface but with clasts slightly depressed in soft ground; thick salt accumulations beneath surface stones; surface clasts weakly to moderately oxidised but strongly altered

Soil

Soil parent material:

Dolerite and sandtone till, possibly reworked as pond sediment

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Small patchy snow remnants; dry soil with no water present

Biological activity:

Nil observed