409

Site number:

409

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1977/12/05

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

On the north side of Wright Valley in the Olympus range, above the North Fork of Wright Valley; near the edge of a prominent erosional bench surface; a small rounded residual moraine ridge about 75m from the upper edge of the steep Wright Valley side with a hummocky surface

Altitude:

1500 m

Aspect:

S

Slope:

140 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-28 °C

Frozen ground depth:

35 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

35

Geology

Geological setting:

Asgard Till has been widely recognised in the valleys of the Asgard Range; the till at this site is granitic, similar to the Asgard Till occurrences and has soils of similar weathering stage; the nearest granite outcrops are at a lower elevation

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Sandstone clasts are strongly oxidised, many with red colour and also very hard; dolerite is mainly fine textured, oxidised and polished but unpitted; sandstone shows moderate exfoliation; salts present beneath surface stones; the pavement is weakly developed

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sandy gravel till containing predominantly sandstone with some dolerite and including some granite

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Extensive snow cover from recent snow falls but little thawing; the soil surface is dry

Biological activity:

Nil observed