600

Site number:

600

Authors:

IBC, GGGC, MRB

Date recorded:

1990/02/05

Reason Sampled:

Soil contamination examination

Description:

At Scott Base outside the entrance to the old Mess Hut, approximately 8m SE from the existing Scott Base Mess room

Altitude:

7 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

2 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

2cm

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

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Nil

Soil

Soil parent material:

Drift deposit from McMurdo Volcanics, with some surface modification from site levelling for base site occupation; some foreign debris

Previous disturbance:

Disturbed surface with numerous items of anthropic debris

Soil weathering stage:

1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Some surface thaw water during summer; currently dry but frozen to within 2cm of the surface

Biological activity:

Nil