A bouldery beach surface, approximately 15m from the coast, at the site of a small penguin rookery, on the south eastern coast of Inexpressible Island; an occupied guano-covered penguin nesting site
Altitude:
3 m
Aspect:
E
Slope:
2 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
74° 55' S 163° 42' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-74.92 163.700
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.04 0.008
Locality
Inexpressible Island, Terra Nova Bay
Survey
USGS 1:250 000 1968; Mt Melbourne SS 58-60/9
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Coastal Antarctic
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-17
°C
Frozen ground depth:
20 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
20cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Granitic till and granitic raised beach gravels, derived from Granite Harbour Intrusives occur extensively; the beach deposits consist mainly of boulders
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Nest sites are clearly demarcated; ground surface is covered with fresh guano
Soil
Soil parent material:
Fresh guano mixed with and overlying granitic beach gravels
Previous disturbance:
A penguin nesting site, presently occupied, accumulations of fresh guano
Oceanic subxerous, little liquid water available at present, moisture source occasional snowmelt
Biological activity:
Site presently occupied by nesting penguins
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
38a
0
–
10
cm
mottled brown (10YR 5/3), very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and pale olive (5Y 6/4) moist organic bouldery pebble gravel; very cohesive; platy structure due to faecal accumulation layering; many feather and shell fragments; strong to very strong odour; distinct boundary,