487

Site number:

487

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1983/01/06

Reason Sampled:

Soil characterisation

Description:

Approximately 1km NE of Mt Brooke, on the lower slopes of a tongue of moraine formed by retreat of an alpine glacier on the north slopes of Mt Brooke

Altitude:

2400 m

Aspect:

NW

Slope:

15 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-33 °C

Frozen ground depth:

10 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

10cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Outcropping rocks on Mt Brooke include Jurassic tuffs and lavas and Ferrar Dolerite, the drift mantle is intermittent and thin or absent in places; till ranges in age from young to very old; young till on lower slopes of Mt Brooke comprises previously weathered rock materials

Patterned ground:

Surface weathering or surface features:

The surface is bouldery; rocks are unstained and mainly angular but some softer rocks are partly rounded and abraded; many rocks are altered from pre-weathering; there are thin white salt efflorescences on the surface of and beneath some stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Ice-rich young till from previously altered tuffs and lavas

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous, recent widespread snowfall with some soil moistening due to thawing

Biological activity:

Nil observed