433

Site number:

433

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1978/11/16

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 moraine to the SE of the basin glacier, an old moraine surface approximately 4.5km NNE of Pk 2421; a slightly hollowed topography that may be partly wind sculptured

Altitude:

2125 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

2 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-40 °C

Frozen ground depth:

90 > cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

>90cm

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; on the northern slopes of the basin, the till deposits are probably old cirque moraines that may have been partly sorted by wind resulting in gravel dunes

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

A moderately to strongly developed pebble and cobble pavement; strong surface oxidation and wind polish; exposed bedrock is strongly exfoliating; some salts beneath surface stones; most clasts subrounded

Soil

Soil parent material:

Doleritic till and some wind sorted gravel

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