Site Information

Site number:
541
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1988/01/13
Reason Sampled:
Permafrost examination
Description:
On the floor of the Towle Valley, approximately 3km southwest of the Towle Glacier; to the NE of a large snowbank; an uneven, slightly terraced, bouldery surface
Altitude:
975 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 76° 40.5' S 160° 45' E 76° 40.5' S 160° 45' E
Latitude Longitude DD -76.675 160.75 -76.675 160.75
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.004 0.04 0.004 0.04
Locality Convoy Range, Transantarctic Mountains; Towle Valley
Survey Ross Island & Vicinity, Antarctica, 1:250 000 US Geological Survey, 1986

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Coastal Mountain, xerous to subxerous
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)Soil temp (°C)Notes
0 10 surface
1 6
5 5
12 3
20 1.5
0 10 surface
1 6
5 5
12 3
20 2
0 6 surface
1 9
5 3.5
12 1
20 0.5
0 -7.5 surface
1 -2
5 0.5
12 0.5
20 0.5
0 -8 surface
1 -5
5 -3
12 0
20 0.5
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-24 °C
Frozen ground depth:
15 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
15cm

Geology

Geological setting:
Towle Valley is formed almost entirely in dolerite; the tills, moraines and soils indicate a northeasterly retreat of the Towle Glacier from the valley; land surfaces on the lower valley floor appear not to be very old; some soils are ice-cemented close to the ground surface
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed nets; troughs up to 25cm deep
Surface weathering or surface features:
Surface boulders mainly subangular to subrounded; weakly to moderately developed pavement; moderate surface oxidation with some very slight pitting; some surface exfoliation and fretting; salt encrustations on the undersides of some surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:
Stony dolerite till
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Some surface snow cover; recent snow fall with some surface soil moistening
Biological activity:
Lichens present
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
541a-i 15 – 141 cm drill core samples; not described

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
541a 15-30cm 15.0 30.0 No
541b 30-42cm 30.0 42.0 No
541c 42-52cm 42.0 52.0 No
541d 52-62cm 52.0 62.0 No
541e 62-80cm 62.0 80.0 No
541f 80-102cm 80.0 102.0 No
541g 102-117cm 102.0 117.0 No
541h 117-129cm 117.0 129.0 No
541i 129-141cm 129.0 141.0 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
541a
541b
541c
541d
541e
541f
541g
541h
541i
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
541a :
541b :
541c :
541d :
541e :
541f :
541g :
541h :
541i :

Photos

Photo record:
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