Site Information

Site number:
627
Authors:
IBC, GGC, MRB
Date recorded:
1991/11/27
Reason Sampled:
Soil moisture and permafrost investigation
Description:
200m N of the Marble Point Air Facility buildings on a rocky knoll; a small and low bouldery moraine ridge about 2m above the surrounding terrain;
Altitude:
65 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS Yes
Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 24.78' S 163° 40.86' E 77° 24.85' S 163° 0.0' E
Latitude Longitude DD -77.41300 163.68100 -77.4142 163.000
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.00008 0.00008 0.0004 0.008
Locality Marble Point, western McMurdo Sound
Survey USGS Antarctica Topographic Series 1:50,000; Marble Point, Antarctica

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Coastal Antarctic
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)Soil temp (°C)Notes
15 0
4 4.6
126 -11
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-18 °C
Frozen ground depth:
50 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
50cm

Geology

Geological setting:
The surface is undulating with intermittent deposits of till; the region is an old landscape of granite and granodiorite, gneiss and marble rocks; there are some old weathering and phillipsite deposits, the land surface has been over-ridden by later Ross Glacial advances; at the site thin young till overlies gneiss bedrock
Patterned ground:
Very weak broad nets
Surface weathering or surface features:
Angular and partly rounded boulders with active cleaving; negligible surface oxidation; pavement is well developed where the surface dominantly pebbly; calcium carbonate coatings are prominent beneath surface clasts

Soil

Soil parent material:
Bouldery gravel till with sand between rocks forming thin wedges, from mixed lithology rocks
Previous disturbance:
No physical disturbance at the site; extensive prior human activity from runway construction in the 1950's; some litter and other debris
Soil weathering stage:
6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Some snow in adjacent hollows; soil is dry;
Biological activity:
Nil at site; moss patches and cyanobacteria are common locally
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
627a -3 – 0 cm surface bouldery gravel; angular and some partly stained; a few carbonate coatings,
627b 0 – 10 cm pale olive (5Y 6/3) bouldery gravel; loose; rock particles angular and unstained; indistinct boundary,
627c 10 – 30 cm pale olive (5Y 6/3) bouldery gravel; weakly cohesive; slightly moist; rock particles angular to subangular and unstained; distinct boundary,
627d 30 – 50 cm pale olive (5Y 6/3) bouldery gravel; firmly cohesive; frosted; rock particles subangular and unstained; a few silt coatings; sharp boundary,
627e 50 – 58 cm drill core; light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel,
627f 58 – 80 cm drill core; light olive grey (5Y 6/2) sandy gravel,
627g 80 – 90 cm drill core; light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2) sandy gravel,
627h 90 – 107 cm drill core; light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2) sandy gravel,
627i 107 – 116 cm drill core; light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel,
627j 116 – 126 cm drill core; rock,
627k 116 – 126 cm drill core; light grey (2.5Y 7/2) sandy gravel

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
627a 3-0cm -3.0 0.0 No
627b 0-10cm 0.0 10.0 2.58
627c 10-30cm 10.0 30.0 1.85
627d 30-50cm 30.0 50.0 1.94
627e 50-58cm 50.0 58.0 7.68
627f 58-80cm 58.0 80.0 10.21
627g 80-90cm 80.0 90.0 19.27
627h 90-107cm 90.0 107.0 18.18
627i 107-116cm 107.0 116.0 15.5
627j 116-126cm 116.0 126.0 18.37
627k 116-126cm 116.0 126.0 18.37
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
627a 44.0
627b 86.0
627c 45.0
627d 28.0
627e 7.68
627f 49.0
627g 23.0
627h 37.0
627i 42.0
627j 2.58
627k -cm
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
627a :
627b :
627c :
627d :
627e :
627f :
627g :
627h :
627i :
627j :

Photos

Photo record:
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