430

Site number:

430

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1978/11/15

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

To the north of an un-named peak to the SE of Turnstile Ridge at the head of the Hatherton Glacier (Pk 2421); below a high dolerite remnant plateau surface on the NE escarpment slope; on a steep slope about 150m below the escarpment edge

Altitude:

2250 m

Aspect:

N

Slope:

28 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-40 °C

Frozen ground depth:

12 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented ground

Frozen comment:

12cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Ferrar Dolerite outcrops on the high surfaces; the soils on the high surfaces show significant weathering and the slope deposits probably include weathered materials from the upper more stable surfaces

Patterned ground:

Small 4.5m nets with very shallow troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

A poorly developed pavement of mixed clast size; surface rocks are loose and easily dislodged but no evidence of significant down-slope movement; some clasts with salt encrustations on upper surfaces but most are on the lower surfaces; rocks are mainly subangular and moderately to strongly stained; some exfoliation and granular disintegration; thin patchy salt precipitations on some rock particles

Soil

Soil parent material:

Dolerite slope detritus

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Small patches of snow but no thaw or soil moistening

Biological activity:

Nil observed