519

Site number:

519

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1988/01/03

Reason Sampled:

Soil contamination examination

Description:

To the west of the Hanger Building at Scott Base, 25m from the building; a probable kerosene spill site

Altitude:

10 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic, Oceanic subxerous

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

Rocks of the area are McMurdo Volcanics, a series of flows of mainly scoria; Last Glaciation ice resulted in small accessions of sedimentary and crystalline rocks from the mainland

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Soil

Soil parent material:

Reworked basaltic drift materials

Previous disturbance:

Heavily disturbed site from base activities

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Dry at sampling time but periodically moist

Biological activity:

Nil observed