436

Site number:

436

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; on younger valley floor moraine approximately 300m SW from the basin glacier; on a hummocky moraine surface

Altitude:

2050 m

Aspect:

NW

Slope:

18 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-40 °C

Frozen ground depth:

20 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

20cm

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 valley floor, the moraine sequence is complex but older tills occur further from the ice margin

Patterned ground:

Moderately developed nets with distinct mounds and 50cm troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

Some crumbling of coarse grained clasts; boulders upstanding to 70cm; a mixture of strongly stained and non stained surface clasts; a moderately developed pebble pavement

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sandy bouldery gravel till from dolerite; probably includes some pre-weathered materials

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

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

Biological activity:

Nil observed