484

Site number:

484

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1983/01/02

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Southern Hut Point Peninsula approximately 800m west of Scott Base and north of the Scott Base-McMurdo road; on an undisturbed surface above the road to the aerial farm

Altitude:

115 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

The rocks of the area are McMurdo Volcanics, predominantly scoria; the surface materials are thin scoria drift material with some accessions of sedimentary and crystalline rocks derived via glacial activity from the mainland; finer textured accumulations may be windblown dust

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed broad shallow nets

Surface weathering or surface features:

Carbonate coatings on rock undersides; some light coloured fine accumulations

Soil

Soil parent material:

Volcanic drift material with some pale coloured fines,

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic xerous; site presently dry but soils become moist after summer snowfall

Biological activity:

Occasional yellow lichen patches and a few scattered moss patches