50

Site number:

50

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/11/21

Reason Sampled:

Soil characterisation

Description:

A flattish raised beach surface, about 1km southwest of Evans Cove, midway between a small relict boulder bank and a 5m high boulder beach of the next highest surface

Altitude:

30 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-17 °C

Frozen ground depth:

23 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

23cm

Geology

Geological setting:

A well defined series of raised beaches occur on the northeast and eastern coasts of Inexpressible Island up to about 45m above sea level; some surfaces are well demarcated by the presence of rounded boulders but where there has been active patterned ground movement, demarcation on lithological characteristics is less clear

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed medium nets with borders marked by large boulders

Surface weathering or surface features:

Subrounded exfoliating surface boulders; some slight surface staining; crumbling of some coarser textured granites

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery beach gravels derived from dominantly granitic rocks (Granite Harbour Intrusives)

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous; no liquid water present and little local snow cover

Biological activity:

A few small patches of moss; some lichen on boulders