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 soil 395 but at a patterned ground crack where dolerite clasts predominate; samples were collected at differing points along a small transect through a patterned ground crack
Altitude:
1440 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 36' S 160° 48' E
77° 36' S 160° 48' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.600 160.800
-77.600 160.800
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.008 0.008
0.008 0.008
Locality
Wright Valley at the Western end in the Asgard Range, at the NE end of Koenig Valley, approximately 2km NW of Mt Freya
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; where dolerite predominates, the soils have much browner colours
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed broad nets
Surface weathering or surface features:
A well developed dolerite 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; salts extensively precipitating on the exposed soil face
Small patchy snow remnants; dry soil with no water present
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
396a
0 – 10 cm
brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sand; moist; moderately cohesive; abundant diffuse salt flecks on drying; rock particles subangular, strongly stained and strongly altered,
396b
0 – 10 cm
dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) sand; moderately cohesive; weakly developed vesicular structure,