32

Site number:

32

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/11/15

Reason Sampled:

Rock weathering

Description:

Soil material examined in cracks in a very large granite boulder on rising undulating moraine on the north east side of Inexpressible Island

Altitude:

150 m

Aspect:

NE

Slope:

7 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 NoObs

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

NoObs

Geology

Geological setting:

Glacial till derived mainly from Granite Harbour Intrusives occurs extensively; a very large boulder, either bedrock or till derived, contained fine particle-sized material in rock cracks

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Some fracturing of large boulders and slight wind rounding; some slight surface staining

Soil

Soil parent material:

Coarse sand and granule sized granite (with some metasedimentary) rock particles in a rock crack

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous, little liquid water available at present, moisture source occasional snowmelt

Biological activity:

Nil observed