550

Site number:

550

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1988/01/19

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Walcott Bay, at the eastern edge of the Walcott Glacier; approximately 250m from the southern margin of Walcott Glacier and 4km from the Koetlitz Glacier; a low scoria knoll; the crest of the knoll

Altitude:

410 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-20 °C

Frozen ground depth:

25 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

25cm

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; this site has been exposed by the retreat of Walcott Glacier

Patterned ground:

Weak broad nets; 25cm active troughs with sand infillings and overturned stones

Surface weathering or surface features:

A moderately developed pebble/cobble pavement; most clasts subrounded with some weakly ventiform; some clasts overturned and with thick calcite encrustations on undersides

Soil

Soil parent material:

Red and black gravelly scoria drift

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

The site is dry with no adjacent snow thaw patches; summer snowfalls occasionally moisten the soil surface

Biological activity:

Nil observed