Site Information

Site number:
397
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 soil 396 and at a patterned ground crack where dolerite clasts predominate; samples were collected at differing points along a small transect through a patterned ground crack; this sample site is where dolerite particles are coarser
Altitude:
1440 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 36' S 160° 48' E 77° 37.5' S 160° 44' E
Latitude Longitude DD -77.600 160.800 -77.625 160.733
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.008 0.004 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
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; 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; the soil colours differ with differing particle size grades
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; surface clasts weakly to moderately oxidised but strongly altered

Soil

Soil parent material:
Granular doleritic gravel
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
The soil is moist
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
397a 0 – 5 cm dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) granular gravel; moist; weakly cohesive; rock particles strongly stained and strongly altered; indistinct boundary,
397b 5 – 6 cm dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) granular sand; moist,

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
397a 0-5cm 0.0 5.0 No
397b 5-6cm 5.0 6.0 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
397a
397b
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
397a :
397b :
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
397a M22/2237 White lid small coarse
397a M22/2238 White lid small fine
397a M22/7465 Glass vial metal lid
397b M22/2239 White lid small coarse
397b M22/2240 White lid small fine
397b M22/7466 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
Loading...