52

Site number:

52

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/11/21

Reason Sampled:

Ssoil characterisation

Description:

An undulating uneven very bouldery moraine surface about 1.5km SE of Evans Cove; the surface has been reworked by patterned ground/soliflual processes with finer sized soil material appearing to have flowed around very large boulders; the site is a pocket of finer till amongst large boulders

Altitude:

100 m

Aspect:

W

Slope:

2 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

20 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

20cm

Geology

Geological setting:

The surface materials are bouldery tills derived principally from rocks of the Granite Harbour Intrusives; large boulders have been split and separated indicating regolith reworking by patterned ground processes

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed small to medium (2-5m) nets with borders marked by boulder accumulations

Surface weathering or surface features:

Cobbles and boulders mainly subangular and unstained

Soil

Soil parent material:

Granitic till reworked by patterned ground processes

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

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

Biological activity:

Few small patches of yellow and black lichen