431

Site number:

431

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1978/11/15

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

To the north of an un-named peak (Pk 2421) to the SE of Turnstile Ridge and west of the head of the Hatherton Glacier on the floor of a big basin on a hummocky ice-cored young moraine surface; on the crest of a small moraine hummock

Altitude:

2000 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-40 °C

Frozen ground depth:

6 cm

Frozen type:

Stagnant ice

Frozen comment:

6cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Ferrar Dolerite outcrops on the high surfaces; the soils on the high surfaces show significant weathering and the tills on the lower surfaces probably include much reworked and pre weathered material; the lower moraine surfaces and sequences in the basin are complex and probably represent accumulations of detritus from slow differential retreat of local ice tongues

Patterned ground:

Hummocky patterned ground, 2-3m across with patterned ground cracks 50cm deep; the hummocky ground is indicative of stagnant ice just below the soil; the till merges into clear stagnant ice 15m to the north

Surface weathering or surface features:

Dolerite boulders up to 2m and many between 75cm and 25cm; most rocks are angular but strongly stained; exfoliation and rock fracturing is common

Soil

Soil parent material:

Young till from dolerite but with previously weathered accessions from higher and older surfaces

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Extensive snow but no thaw or soil moistening

Biological activity:

Nil observed