Site Information

Site number:
531
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1988/01/06
Reason Sampled:
Soil weathering examination
Description:
Central Alatna Valley, approximately 9km NNE of Battleship Promontory; 500m from the southern edge of the stagnant Staten Island Heights glacier; on an undulating moraine surface; the site is a sand accumulation patch behind a boulder and in a patterned ground crack
Altitude:
950 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 76° 52' S 161° 13' E 76° 52' S 161° 15' E
Latitude Longitude DD -76.867 161.217 -76.867 161.25
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.008 0.008 0.04
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:
-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; granite outliers are also present; the presence of pink Irizar Granite indicates earlier up-valley ice movement; many of the soils are very sandy below the bouldery surface; the sand may in part originate from local erosion and become incorporated into the soil through cryic processes
Patterned ground:
Extensive and well developed broad nets with active movement
Surface weathering or surface features:
Loose sandy surface; clasts in the patterned ground crack are subangular and weakly stained

Soil

Soil parent material:
Wind-blown sand
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Periodic summer snow falls; snow in patterned ground cracks but little visible soil moistening
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
531a 0 – 5 cm yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sand; loose; particles subangular to subrounded, moderately stained with some moderately altered,
531b 0 – 5 cm yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) coarse sand from patterned ground crack; loose; particles subangular to subrounded moderately stained with some moderately to strongly altered

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
531a 0-5cm 0.0 5.0 No
531b 0-5cm 0.0 5.0 No
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
531a 7.37 2.9 28.15 12.75 0.02 18.0 39.0 17.6 2.3 .  
531b 7.89 0.01 0.2 0.02 . 0.09 0.1 0.3 0.12 .  
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
531a 54.3 30.9 8.9 2.1 1.0 1.2 1.4 0.3 .
531b 60.1 32.3 6.4 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
531a :
531b :
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
531a M22/3819 White lid small coarse
531a M22/3820 large sq fine
531a M22/7948 Glass vial metal lid
531b M22/3821 White lid small coarse
531b M22/3822 medium fine
531b M22/7949 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
Loading...