Near the centre of Jotunheim Valley on an open till plain surface; approximately 3.4km NE of Wolak Peak; a subdued patterned ground covered surface
Altitude:
1600 m
Aspect:
N
Slope:
2 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 37' S 161° 14' E
77° 37' S 161° 14' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.617 161.233
-77.617 161.233
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.008 0.008
0.008 0.008
Locality
Wright Valley near the centre of the Asgard Range, to the SW of Lake Vanda in Jotunheim Valley
Survey
USGS, Antarctica 1:50,000 Topo. Ser. 1977 Lake Vanda Antarctica
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Inland Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
35 cm
Frozen type:
hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
35cm
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; this till is an older Alpine Moraine deposit
Patterned ground:
Subdued patterned ground, probably inactive
Surface weathering or surface features:
A well developed cobble and pebble pavement with few upstanding boulders; clasts mainly subrounded; surface staining varies according to rock type; coarse grained dolerite disaggregating, fine grained dolerite weakly pitted, oxidised and some polish; sandstone clasts reddened; salts beneath some surface stones
Patchy snow cover mainly in patterned ground cracks; no visible soil moistening
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
404a
-2 – 0 cm
surface cobbles, pebbles and granular sand; rock particles angular to subrounded and weakly to moderately stained; moderately developed cobble pavement,
404b
0 – 13 cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy cobble gravel with more distinct oxidation around some dolerite clasts; weakly cohesive; a few fine salt flecks; rock particles mostly subangular and weakly stained with some slightly altered; distinct boundary,
404c
13 – 20 cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy cobble gravel; weakly cohesive; few to many salt flecks with salts precipitating on the exposed soil face; rock particles mainly subangular and unstained but some coarse grained clasts partly disaggregated; indistinct boundary,
404d
20 – 35 cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy gravel; loose; a few fine salt flecks; rock particles angular and unstained; sharp boundary,
404e
35 – 37 cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) frozen ground; partly thawing