Site Information

Site number:
443
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 on the side of an old moraine ridge with the ground surface falling away into a hollow beyond
Altitude:
1675 m
Aspect:
S
Slope:
10 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 79° 58' S 156° 18.1' E 79° 57' S 156° 17' E
Latitude Longitude DD -79.967 156.3020 -79.950 156.283
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.0008 0.008 0.008
Locality Hatherton Glacier, Darwin Mountains, Transantarctic Mountains
Survey United States Geological Survey 1966; 1:250,000 Carlyon Glacier, Antarctica

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30 °C
Frozen ground depth:
85 > cm
Frozen type:
Dry frozen
Frozen comment:
>85cm

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
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed; inactive residual mounds
Surface weathering or surface features:
A deflated surface with a well developed pebble and cobble pavement; occasional boulders up to 25cm above the surface; sandstone clasts reduced and case hardened; dolerite clasts well stained and common pitting; moderate ventiform development; strong surface polish; undersides show little weathering; salts common beneath many clasts

Soil

Soil parent material:
Till from predominantly dolerite with some sandstone
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Thin patchy snow; no thawing or soil moistening observed
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
443a -2 – 0 cm surface cobbles, pebbles and granular sand; larger particles rounded and strongly stained; smaller particles angular, strongly stained and moderately to strongly altered,
443b 0 – 5 cm brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy to granular sandy gravel; weakly cohesive; weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles mainly angular, moderately stained and moderately altered; sharp boundary,
443c 5 – 15 cm yellowish red (5YR 4/8 - 5/8) sandy gravel; moderately to strongly cohesive; many diffuse salts with concentrations in patches; rock particles subangular, weakly stained and many crumbly; some ghosts; distinct boundary,
443d 15 – 30 cm strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) bouldery sandy gravel; weakly cohesive; rock particles mainly angular, some partly crumbly and non to weakly stained; indistinct boundary,
443e 30 – 50 cm strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) bouldery sandy gravel; weakly cohesive; rock particles angular and non to weakly stained with a few fractured; indistinct boundary,
443f 50 – 80 cm yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy to silty bouldery gravel; loose; pulverulent; rock particles angular and unstained; indistinct boundary,
443g 80 – 85 cm yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy gravel; loose; pulverulent

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
443a 2-0cm -2.0 0.0 No
443b 0-5cm 0.0 5.0 No
443c 5-15cm 5.0 15.0 No
443d 15-30cm 15.0 30.0 No
443e 30-50cm 30.0 50.0 No
443f 50-80cm 50.0 80.0 No
443g 80-85cm 80.0 85.0 No
443h No
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
443a                      
443b 7.2 8.7 8.12 7.2 . 1.41 10.8 0.7 3.6 .  
443c 7.5 11.1 15.2 14.3 . 1.47 24.0 4.4 5.3 .  
443d 8.1 5.6 1.52 4.8 . 1.15 3.7 5.9 2.1 .  
443e 9.4 4.6 0.05 1.5 . 4.79 0.73 4.0 2.5 .  
443f 7.8 4.1 11.6 2.2 . 0.95 2.7 3.6 1.4 .  
443g 7.6 4.3 0.85 0.2 . 1.02 5.1 3.6 1.3 .  
443h                      
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
443a
443b 34.0 21.8 18.5 7.6 4.7 7.4 4.1 0.6 .
443c 33.4 23.1 17.2 8.1 6.5 4.6 6.5 0.44 .
443d 33.2 21.8 16.1 8.8 8.9 9.2 1.4 0.5 .
443e 37.3 24.0 16.9 6.7 6.7 6.7 1.1 0.55 .
443f 39.5 25.3 19.7 9.7 10.3 10.8 1.3 0.4 .
443g 36.0 23.1 15.8 8.0 7.4 7.4 1.4 0.58 .
443h
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
443a :
443b 55.0 . . 5.0 . . 15.0 20.0 . . . . . . :
443c 50.0 15.0 . . 20.0 . . 15.0 . . . . . . :
443d 55.0 10.0 . . 20.0 . . 15.0 . . . . . . :
443e 50.0 10.0 . . 15.0 . . 25.0 . . . . . . :
443f 60.0 . . . . . . 40.0 . . . . . . :
443g 60.0 . . . . . . 40.0 . . . . . . :
443h :
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
443a M22/2769 medium coarse
443a M22/2770 White lid small fine
443a M22/7654 Glass vial metal lid
443b M22/2771 White lid small coarse
443b M22/2772 medium fine
443b M22/7655 Glass vial metal lid
443c M22/2773 White lid small coarse
443c M22/2774 medium fine
443c M22/7656 Glass vial metal lid
443d M22/2775 White lid small coarse
443d M22/2776 medium fine
443d M22/7657 Glass vial metal lid
443e M22/2777 White lid small coarse
443e M22/2778 medium fine
443e M22/7658 Glass vial metal lid
443f M22/2779 White lid small coarse
443f M22/2780 medium fine
443f M22/7659 Glass vial metal lid
443g M22/2781 White lid small coarse
443g M22/2782 White lid small fine
443g M22/7660 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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