589

Site number:

589

Authors:

IBC, GGGC, MRB

Date recorded:

1990/01/31

Reason Sampled:

Soil moisture and permafrost investigations

Description:

Between Scott base and Crater Hill just north of west, a small nivation cirque above and southwest of a bend in the track to a US radio antennae facility; this site is the first of 5 sites sampled in sequence from beneath a snow bank to about 15m beyond to examine soil moisture relationships adjacent to a snow source; this site is underneath a patch of 'permanent' (but retreating) snow

Altitude:

70 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

6 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

0cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Rocks are predominantly scoria flows of the McMurdo Volcanics; Last Glaciation Ross 1 ice covered the site and traces of rocks (sandstone and granite granules and small pebbles) probably from the Royal Society Range can be found; the drift mantle is thin and patchy with bedrock a little below the surface; the ground surface is covered with permanent snow

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery till and slope debris predominantly from scoria with minor accessions of sedimentary and granitic rocks

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Site has 80cm of snow cover and ground is frozen to the surface

Biological activity:

Nil