On a level valley floor moraine surface just up-valley from a ridge of moraine that crosses the mouth of the valley, approximately 3km ENE of Oliver Peak
Altitude:
5000 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
GGC
IBC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 36' S 161° 15' E
77° 36' S 161° 10' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.600 161.25
-77.600 161.17
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.008 0.04
0.008 0.08
Locality
Wright Valley near the centre of the Asgard Range, to the SW of Lake Vanda near the mouth of Njord Valley
Survey
USGS, Antarctica 1:50,000 Topo. Ser. 1977 Lake Vanda Antarctica
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-28
°C
Frozen ground depth:
40 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
40cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Local outcrops are dominated by Beacon Sandstone and Ferrar Dolerite; glacial sequences are similar to other alpine of the Asgard Range with old sequences of local alpine valley glaciers dominated by sandstone and dolerite together with granite valley mouth tills; this site is on local valley till
Patterned ground:
Broad inactive patterned ground nets
Surface weathering or surface features:
A cobble and small boulder well deflated surface; ventiforms well developed; dolerite clasts strongly stained with coarse grained clasts exfoliating
Patchy snow cover from recent falls; some thaw with patchy soil moistening
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
398a
-2 – 0 cm
surface cobbles, pebbles and granular sand; moderately to strongly stained with some polish
398b
0 – 6 cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) cobbly sandy gravel; moderately cohesive; moderately developed vesicular structure; salt flecks mainly beneath stones; coarse particles subangular and weakly to moderately stained; sandstone particles strongly stained and deeply oxidised distinct boundary,
398c
6 – 13 cm
strong brown to yellowish red (7.5YR 5/6 - 5YR 8/8) sandy gravel; loose to weakly cohesive; some salts precipitating on the exposed soil surface; rock particles subangular and weakly to moderately stained; distinct boundary,
398d
13 – 22 cm
strong brown to yellowish red (7.5YR - 5YR 5/8) sandy gravel; moderately cohesive; salt cemented in patches; sandstone particles strongly stained and deeply oxidised; distinct boundary,
398e
22 – 40 cm
strong brown to yellowish red (7.5YR 5/8) sandy gravel; loose; larger rock particles mainly subangular and weakly stained but smaller particles distinctly stained; sharp boundary; on ice cemented ground