432

Site number:

432

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 moraine covered floor of a big basin; a valley floor hummocky moraine to the SE of the basin glacier

Altitude:

2050 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-40 °C

Frozen ground depth:

30 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice cemented/ possibly over ice

Frozen comment:

30cm

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 of the basin are complex and probably represent accumulations from slow differential retreat of local ice tongues

Patterned ground:

Net polygons, 5-10m across with troughs up to 1m deep

Surface weathering or surface features:

Dolerite boulders show distinctive staining; coarse grained clasts disaggregating; some thin diffuse salt coatings beneath some clasts; a moderately developed pavement with weakly developed ventiforms; moderate surface rounding

Soil

Soil parent material:

Locally derived till from dolerite probably with previously weathered accessions from higher and older surfaces

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 2/3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Small patches of snow but no thaw or soil moistening; most snow lying in patterned ground cracks

Biological activity:

Nil observed