626

Site number:

626

Authors:

IBC, GGC, MRB

Date recorded:

1991/11/25

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

Approximately 800m SW of Marble Point; on the peninsula; on an uneven slightly stepped rising surface and a flattish site near the ridge crest; about 100m E of site 625

Altitude:

28 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

Bedrock outcrops in places on the Marble Point Peninsula and is partly covered with patchy drift and some large granite erratics; scattered kenyite clasts indicate the surface was covered by Ross Glaciation ice; patches of reddish brown soil occur in places

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

A well developed pebble pavement; scattered small to medium boulders mainly rounded, some partly oxidised

Soil

Soil parent material:

Partly oxidised sandy gravel undifferentiated drift

Previous disturbance:

No major past human activity but recent vehicle travel by large wide tyred Delta

Soil weathering stage:

5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

A dry site, a few local snow patches but no soil moistening

Biological activity:

Nil at site; moss patches and cyanobacteria are common locally