39

Site number:

39

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/11/17

Reason Sampled:

Soil characterisation

Description:

A bouldery knoll, possibly a former wave cut surface, near the southern tip of Inexpressible Island; the surface is gently convex and mantled with large (up to 4m) boulders most of which are rounded to subrounded; profile site between large upstanding boulders

Altitude:

105 m

Aspect:

W

Slope:

2 °

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:

Granite Harbour Intrusives outcrop in places; the surface is at a similar level to other prominent planar surfaces at Cape Russell on the Northern Foothills; dark coloured crystalline/schistose basement erratic boulders are also present

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Granite boulders showing distinct patchy surface staining; slight surface exfoliation; boulders mainly subrounded; some wind abrasion

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery granitic till

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

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

Biological activity:

Few scattered lichens on rocks