403

Site number:

403

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1977/11/29

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

On the west side of the valley floor; approximately 1km NE of Wolak Peak; on the main valley floor gently undulating till covered surface

Altitude:

1675 m

Aspect:

N

Slope:

2 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

35 cm

Frozen type:

hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

35

Geology

Geological setting:

Tills near the head of the valley are derived from local alpine glaciation with a dolerite sandstone composition; the tills on the valley floor are youngest to the south and become older to the north due to slow southwards ice retreat and ablation; the till is probably ice cored

Patterned ground:

Moderately developed; 10m nets with 75cm troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

Coarse dolerite is weakly fragmented but subrounded; fine dolerite with slight pitting; oxidation of dolerite and sandstone surfaces is weak; unoxidised sandstones show some cavernous weathering; some exfoliation on coarse grained rocks

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery doleritic till with some sandstone

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Patchy snow cover mainly in patterned ground cracks; no visible soil moistening

Biological activity:

Nil observed