528

Site number:

528

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1988/01/06

Reason Sampled:

Biological examination

Description:

Approximately 4km east of Battleship Promontory; at the edge of a small pond the samples were collected at 25m intervals from near the edge of the pond

Altitude:

925 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-25 °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; till is extensive on the valley floor and includes granite from near the coast

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

A largely bouldery surface with many boulders upstanding, slightly rounded and partly stained

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery till with minor sorting from water level fluctuations

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6

Soil moisture status:

Moist adjacent to the pond, dry further away; adjacent extensive snow patches are probably the source of the pond waters

Biological activity:

Cyanobacterial mats extensive at the pond edge becoming less abundant with increasing distance