547

Site number:

547

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1988/01/19

Reason Sampled:

Soil Biological examination

Description:

Walcott Bay, at the eastern edge of the Walcott Glacier; 30m from the glacier front; a flat site amongst blocks of thawing ice in a damp patch and an adjacent dry patch

Altitude:

325 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-20 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

The Walcott Bay area has a complex geology with basement rocks, small volcanic cones and an extensive drift mantle which include a wide range of rocks; the area was previously covered by the Koetlitz Glacier which has retreated; lower altitude surfaces are late Ross Glaciation in age

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface is unweathered

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sandy gravel till of mixed lithology; granite, schist, dolerite; igneous

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous; soil is moist from glacial thaw water but dry in patches

Biological activity:

Cyanobacteria in damp spots