On the north side of the Asgard Range in Folkvangar Valley; a high sloping bench like surface
Altitude:
1650 m
Aspect:
N
Slope:
4 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
76° 35.09' S 161° 01' E
77° 36.5' S 161° 01' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-76.58480 161.017
-77.608 161.017
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.00008 0.008
0.004 0.008
Locality
Dry Valley region, Transantarctic Mountains, Wright Valley
Survey
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Central mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
32 > cm
Frozen type:
Dry frozen
Frozen comment:
>32cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Surfaces in the mouths of valleys in the Asgard Range have old Miocene aged tills; at this site, old till is present with a well weathered soil; a few granite erratics occur indicating a non local origin for the till
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
A moderately developed cobble to boulder pavement; surface boulders well rounded with some exfoliation; dolerite clasts moderately to strongly stained; sandstone clasts moderately stained
Some small local snow patches; no soil moistening visible
Biological activity:
Endolithic lichen locally present
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
517a
-2
–
0
cm
surface cobbles; small boulders and sandy gravel; rock particles mainly subangular and weakly to moderately stained; some strongly altered with yellowish brown coatings on internal fracture faces,
517b
0
–
6
cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) very sandy gravel; weakly cohesive; many fine diffuse salt flecks; rock particles subangular and weakly to moderately stained, some partly altered; smaller particles subrounded; distinct boundary,
517c
6
–
14
cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy gravel; weakly cohesive; many distinct salt flecks, some nodular; some diffuse patches of more strongly oxidised red (2.5Y 5/6) soil; rock particles subangular, weakly stained and some partly altered; indistinct boundary,
517f
6
–
14
cm
red (2.5Y 5/6) sandy gravel; irregular patches within the profile
517d
14
–
20
cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) very sandy gravel; loose to weakly cohesive; rock particles subangular and weakly stained; indistinct boundary,