511

Site number:

511

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1983/01/19

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Approximately 3km WSW of Battleship Promontory and 1km north of an un-named ice tongue; an undulating ridge surface and on a flat upper surface

Altitude:

1350 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-30 °C

Frozen ground depth:

30 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

30cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Ferrar Dolerite forms extensive sills and the till appears to be derived from the local dolerite; with increasing distance from the ice front, soil weathering increases; this till marks the oldest identifiable moraine from the ice mass to the north of Mt Bergen; the soil sequence suggests that ice retreat has occurred very slowly

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed broad shallow nets

Surface weathering or surface features:

Dolerite boulders are strongly stained and rounded with marked exfoliation of oxidised surfaces; well developed ventiforms; a well developed pebble and cobble pavement; distinct up- wind abrasion of upstanding boulders; fine grained dolerite clasts are well pitted; salts are present beneath some surface clasts with the undersides of the clasts having distinct exfoliation

Soil

Soil parent material:

Doleritic till with some minor sandstone

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Some small local snow patches; the site is dry with no sign of soil moistening

Biological activity:

Some lichen patches on rock surfaces