401

Site number:

401

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1977/11/29

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

On a valley floor till-covered surface near the head of Jotunheim Valley; a narrow surface with occasional small rises and with strongly developed patterned ground

Altitude:

1675 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

40 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

40cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Tills near the head of the valley are derived from local alpine glaciation with a dolerite sandstone composition; the tills become younger up-valley and the surface expression is distinguished by prominent high relief patterned ground which is probably ice-cored; the surface may be of Alpine II to Alpine III age

Patterned ground:

Strongly developed medium nets; cracks up to 2m deep from polygon centres

Surface weathering or surface features:

Weak surface weathering; patchy stain on boulders; negligible ventiforms and pitting; few fine salt accumulations beneath some clasts

Soil

Soil parent material:

Dolerite and sandstone ablation moraine; probably partly preweathered from erosion of valley wall surfaces

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Snow is extensive in patterned ground cracks

Biological activity:

Nil observed