444

Site number:

444

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 upper edge of a steep and long precipitous slope; approximately 20m below a bouldery ridge crest

Altitude:

1600 m

Aspect:

NE

Slope:

25 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central Mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

A small occurrence of pale coloured till is exposed on the upper part of a very steep slope; overlying this till is a deposit of till with granite erratics; the pale coloured till may be the basal portion of the granitic till or may represent an older till, similar to the Sirius Formation; the granitic till forms a distinct ridge across an older valley surface similar to those seen in the Asgard Range and represents an older up-valley ice advance; the age is probably similar to Asgard Till of the Dry Valleys

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Negligible weathering on the exposed steep face

Soil

Soil parent material:

Pale sandy till

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6

Soil moisture status:

Thin patchy snow; no thawing or soil moistening observed

Biological activity:

Nil observed