608

Site number:

608

Authors:

IBC, GGGC, MRB

Date recorded:

1990/02/09

Reason Sampled:

Permafrost and soil moisture investigations

Description:

Part of an old disused road surface south of 'The Gap' about 250m from the coast; the road was formed in the middle 1960's but was abandoned later as different routes to the sea ice were established; the road was formed from constructed materials; the ground surface is now uneven

Altitude:

20 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

3 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

50 cm

Frozen type:

Very firm ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

50cm

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:

Soil

Soil parent material:

Scoria fill material derived from around McMurdo through ground scraping of the active layer; the upper part of the soil is strongly compacted

Previous disturbance:

The site was formed from road construction activity

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

A dry site presently not receiving runoff flows; a thin patchy snow cover was present

Biological activity:

Nil observed