418

Site number:

418

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1978/11/12

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Just north of Mt Ash, in a high saddle adjacent to dolerite cliffs; a broad flattish surface between dolerite outcrops

Altitude:

1900 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-35 °C

Frozen ground depth:

40 cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen over ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

40cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Ferrar Dolerite outcrops extensively on the upper slopes; a few sandstone clasts are present which may have originated from slope working or cryogenic processes

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

A strongly developed surface cobble and pebble pavement, slightly ventiform, with a few boulders; moderate rounding; some smaller clasts are highly oxidised but moderately polished and pitted; coarser grained clasts have patchy oxidation and are partly exfoliated; few salts beneath some surface stones,

Soil

Soil parent material:

Gravelly dolerite drift

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Small snow pockets in the lee of boulders; no thaw or soil moistening

Biological activity:

Nil observed