Site Information

Site number:
524
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1988/01/05
Reason Sampled:
Soil biological examination
Description:
On the floor of the western end of Alatna Valley and north of Battleship Promontory; a low salty hollow in the valley floor; the samples were collected in a sequence from the drier soil surface just above the wet edge of the hollow, 5m from the wet edge and onto the wet floor
Altitude:
875 m
Aspect:
W-Nil
Slope:
2 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 76° 53.8' S 160° 58' E 76° 54' S 160° 56' E
Latitude Longitude DD -76.8967 160.967 -76.900 160.933
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.0008 0.008 0.008 0.008
Locality Convoy Range, Transantarctic Mountains; Alatna Valley
Survey Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-28 °C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:
Alatna Valley has formed through ice recession from the Benson Glacier and ice from Staten Island Heights; the local rocks are extensive Beacon Sandstone outcrops capped with Ferrar Dolerite; the tills include granites and gneissic rocks which occur nearer the coast and indicate ice movement from the east; some hollows may be kettle holes
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Salts are precipitated on the floor of the moist depression; on the slope immediately adjacent to the depression floor, the soil is very spongy; this may be due to a high salt content

Soil

Soil parent material:
Sandy gravel till modified by pond hydrological variations
Previous disturbance:
The site was visited in 1983; a soil pit was still very evident
Soil weathering stage:
6 3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
The floor of the depression is wet; the soil becomes progressively less moist with increasing distance from the flat floor
Biological activity:
Nil observed; the samples were collected to see if there was any evidence of a biological activity gradient between the moist floor and the adjacent drier toe slopes
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
524a 0 – 5 cm light yellowish brown (2.5Y 5/4) sandy gravel 5m from the edge of the depression floor,
524b 0 – 5 cm light yellowish brown (2.5Y 5/4) sandy gravel at the top of the spongy area; moderately cohesive; moderately developed surface crust,
524c 0 – 5 cm light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy gravel at the lower edge of the soft spongy area; moderately developed surface crust,

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
524a 0-5cm 0.0 5.0 No
524b 0-5cm 0.0 5.0 No
524c 0-5cm 0.0 5.0 No
524d 0-5cm 0 5 No
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
524a
524b
524c
524d
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
524a :
524b :
524c :
524d :

Photos

Photo record:
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