565

Site number:

565

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1988/01/26

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering exaamination

Description:

1.2km west Scott Base at The Gap; on the north side of the Scott Base to McMurdo road on a sloping scraped surface bout 10m from the road

Altitude:

60 m

Aspect:

SW

Slope:

8 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

Rocks of the area are McMurdo Volcanics with a thin till cover; the drift mantle is patchy; the area has been scraped for construction material and thawing of ice wedges is showing the patterned ground

Patterned ground:

A rectangular pattern of small 4m nets with thawing in the troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

Soil

Soil parent material:

Basaltic scoria and sandy gravel

Previous disturbance:

A scraped ground surface

Soil weathering stage:

1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous; a moist environment with summer thaw

Biological activity:

Nil