500

Site number:

500

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1983/01/13

Reason Sampled:

Soil characterisation

Description:

8.5km SW of the western end of the Northwind Glacier on an extensive bench-like or terrace surface; the surface is extremely variable with patches of dolerite felsenmeer, strongly oxidised and less oxidised areas, patterned and non-patterned ground etc.; the site is 2m away from site 499

Altitude:

140 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-28 °C

Frozen ground depth:

30 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

30

Geology

Geological setting:

Dolerite and Beacon Group sediments occur locally and the regolith mantle appears to be from local materials; this profile is browner that soil 499 and possibly has less sandstone/more dolerite in the parent material

Patterned ground:

Poorly defined old nets, currently probably inactive

Surface weathering or surface features:

A well developed pavement with rounded surface dolerite cobbles and pebbles; some weak to moderately ventiform clasts, unstained on up-wind sides and well stained on down-wind sides; staining ranges from strong to weak depending on the degree of abrasion; some pitted rocks are present; exfoliation skins on surface clasts are well developed; a well developed oxidation rind is present beneath some surface clasts

Soil

Soil parent material:

Dolerite and sandstone drift

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous; no local snow patches but the soil is moist below 7cm

Biological activity:

Occasional patches of yellow lichen in exfoliation cracks