654

Site number:

654

Authors:

IBC, GGC, MRB

Date recorded:

1991/12/11

Reason Sampled:

Soil weathering examination

Description:

300m to the south of Scott's Hut and 15m from the sea ice; a smooth, gently sloping gravelly beach surface;

Altitude:

2 m

Aspect:

NW

Slope:

5 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

40 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

40cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Rocks of the area belong to the McMurdo Volcanics; the beach gravels are recent and derived from local volcanic rocks predominantly Kenyite volcanics

Patterned ground:

Nil at site

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface gravel pavement is rounded and unweathered

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sorted pebble gravel with occasional small boulders

Previous disturbance:

Probably disturbed by foot traffic from early 1900's

Soil weathering stage:

1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous; patchy snow cover but site is dry

Biological activity:

Nil at site; Skua nesting nearby