A sloping bench surface on an upper side slope of Wright Valley with shallow ridges; the site is on a slightly uneven broad sloping ridge about midslope
Altitude:
1150 m
Aspect:
SE
Slope:
10 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 29.2' S 162° 7.2' E
77° 23.7' S 161° 58' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.4867 162.1200
-77.3950 161.967
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.0008 0.0008
0.0008 0.008
Locality
Wright Valley in the eastern end of the Olympus Range to the east of Bull Pass
Survey
USGS, Antarctica 1:50,000 Topo. Ser. 1977 Lake Brownworth Antarctica
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Coastal Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-25
°C
Frozen ground depth:
115 cm
Frozen type:
Dry frozen
Frozen comment:
115cm; >115cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Till sequences in the Lower Wright Valley are complex; higher elevation till deposits are probably older than the lower elevation recognised sequence of up-valley ice advances; the till at this site may be the equivalent of Asgard Till
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Coarse dolerite weakly to moderately stained, fine grained dolerite moderately stained; unpitted; moderately developed ventiforms; sandstone clasts hardened but unstained; a moderately developed pebble pavement with a few upstanding dolerite boulders to 75cm; exfoliation and disintegration of some coarse grained granites
Soil
Soil parent material:
Dolerite, granite and sandstone bouldery sandy gravel till
Extensive snow cover on surface with some moistening of the soil surface to 3 cm;
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
411a
-2
–
0
cm
surface pebbles, cobbles and granular sand; mainly subrounded; moderately stained and partly altered,
411b
0
–
3
cm
brown (10YR 5/3) sandy fine gravel; moist adjacent to snow edge but dry further away; moderately cohesive; moderately developed vesicular structure; rock particles subrounded, partly stained and partly altered; distinct boundary;
411c
3
–
16
cm
brownish yellow to pale olive (10YR 6/6 - 2.5Y 6/6) sandy gravel; loose to weakly cohesive; some ghosts; rock particles mainly subrounded to subangular, partly stained and partly altered; distinct boundary,
411d
16
–
35
cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy gravel; moderately cohesive; patchy salt cementing; salts abundant through and around disaggregating granular rocks; larger rock particles mainly subangular; smaller particles subrounded weakly to moderately stained and partly altered; indistinct boundary,
411e
35
–
55
cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) bouldery sandy gravel; loose to weakly cohesive; some coarse grained clasts partly disaggregated; rock particles mainly angular, unstained and unaltered; indistinct boundary,
411f
55
–
70
cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) bouldery sandy gravel; loose; some coarse grained clasts partly disaggregated; rock particles mainly angular, unstained and unaltered; indistinct boundary,
411g
70
–
90
cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very bouldery sandy gravel; loose; rock particles mainly angular, unstained and unaltered; indistinct boundary,
411h
90
–
100
cm
brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very bouldery sandy gravel; loose to weakly cohesive; some coarse grained clasts partly disaggregated; rock particles mainly angular, unstained and unaltered; indistinct boundary,
411i
110
–
115
cm
light yellowish brown to pale yellow (2.5Y 6/4 - 7/4) bouldery sandy gravel; loose