554

Site number:

554

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1988/01/20

Reason Sampled:

Soil biological examination

Description:

Walcott Bay, to the northeast of the Howchin Glacier; approximately 1km east of the Howchin Glacier on a long ridge surface; a rocky knoll about 10m below the crest of the ridge

Altitude:

800 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-23 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

Basement rock is gneiss; on some ridge surfaces till is thin or absent; there is strong physical disaggregation along the joint planes which are nearly vertical

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface rocks are mainly tabular and form a moderately developed pavement

Soil

Soil parent material:

Disaggregating and fractured gneissic bedrock with sand infilling along fracture planes; some basaltic erratics

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous; snow is patchy on the ridge surface; the site is dry but the soil is moist below the surface

Biological activity:

Some green algae in patches beneath tabular light coloured rocks