Site Information

Site number:
468
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1979/12/14
Reason Sampled:
Salts examination
Description:
Meyer Hills in the southeast of the Heritage Range, approximately 2km northeast of Beaudoin Peak on the valley floor till; a surface salt efflorescence
Altitude:
580 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 79° 47' S 81° 02' W 79° 47' S 81° 02' W
Latitude Longitude DD -79.783 -81.033 -79.783 -81.033
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.008 0.008 0.008
Locality West Antarctica in Ellsworth Land at the southern end of the Ellsworth Mountains
Survey US Geological Survey, 1:250 000, 1967, Union Glacier

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Inland/Coastal Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-20 °C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:
The Ellsworth Mountains comprise a thick sequence of folded metasedimentary rocks comprising limestones, conglomerates and quartzites dating to Precambrian; the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is believed to have fluctuated greatly in response to global sea level changes and evidence of these fluctuations should be present in the tills and soil weathering record; the Meyer Hills are predominantly quartzitic sandstones
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Salts precipitated at the the soil surface against rock edges

Soil

Soil parent material:
Argillitic and quartzofeldspathic till
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6
Soil moisture status:
No moisture presently seen at the site
Biological activity:
Nil observed

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
468a No
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
468a
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
468a :

Photos

Photo record:
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