Site Information

Site number:
649
Authors:
IBC, GGC, MRB
Date recorded:
1991/12/06
Reason Sampled:
Soil weathering examination
Description:
450m E of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier and 300m S of the Marble Point Air facility Buildings; on a low rocky bedrock knoll near the crest of the knoll and on a flat surface in a slight hollow
Altitude:
65 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC GGC
GPS Yes
Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 25.10' S 163° 40.44' E 77° 25.2' S 163° 41.0' E
Latitude Longitude DD -77.4183 163.67400 -77.4200 163.683
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.0008 0.00008 0.0008 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
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-18 °C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:
The basement rocks at Marble Point are complex and included with the granodiorite and gneiss outcrops; in places these appear to have undergone distinct weathering which may represent the residual parts of an earlier weathering landscape
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
A weakly developed pavement with strongly altered material just beneath the ground surface; the weathering appears to be zoned with mixed red and brownish patches, suggesting that it may be related to mineralogical differences within the basement rock

Soil

Soil parent material:
Weathered gneissic rock
Previous disturbance:
Vehicle traffic route nearby; intermittent human visits
Soil weathering stage:
6 5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Dry site with no adjacent snow patches
Biological activity:
Nil at site but moss and cyanobacteria common in the area
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
649a 5-10cm yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy to silty granule gravel; moderately cohesive; weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles subangular, some partly altered; indistinct boundary,
649b 10-15cm brown to light olive brown (10YR 5/3 - 2.5Y 5/4) sandy to silty gravel; weakly cohesive; rock particles mainly angular, some distinctly stained and partly altered

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
649a 5-10cm 5.0 10.0 No
649b 10-15cm 10.0 15.0 No
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
649a 8.6 4.05 0.24 0.1 0.12 3.1 0.5 0.14 0.9 .  
649b 7.8 2.69 0.49 0.24 0.12 2.9 0.4 0.14 0.76 .  
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
649a 13.6 18.9 20.3 13.3 11.7 13.4 4.3 4.6 .
649b 6.7 13.9 31.7 19.0 11.0 9.1 1.9 6.7 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
649a :
649b :

Photos

Photo record:
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