440

Site number:

440

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1978/11/19

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

The Darwin Mountains, just to the south of the Midnight Plateau; the site is near site 338 but from beneath a consolidated snowpack; the snow forms a continuous cover merging into the Midnight Plateau ice field; the soil beneath 60cm of hard snow was examined to compare soil weathering from beneath the snow cover with that at site 338 beyond the snowpack

Altitude:

1650 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-35 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

0cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Rock outcrops on the area are Ferrar Dolerite; the ground surfaces have been exposed following retreat of ice from the Midnight Plateau; close to the ice edge, the soils appear less weathered but distinct successional surfaces marking ice retreat are not present; with increasing distance away from the ice front, soil weathering increases; the weathering is probably relict and unrelated to the present ice cover

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Not observed

Soil

Soil parent material:

Frozen till beneath consolidated snowpack

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Permanent snow cover

Biological activity:

Nil observed