663

Site number:

663

Authors:

IBC, GGC, MRB

Date recorded:

1991/12/14

Reason Sampled:

Soil salts examination

Description:

Approximately 500m N of McMurdo Station; on the lower side slope of a shallow valley; a surface previously disturbed by ground scraping and subsequently covered with extensive salt precipitations

Altitude:

100 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

3 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

Rocks are predominantly scoria flows of the McMurdo Volcanics; Last Glaciation Ross 1 ice covered the site and traces of rocks (sandstone and granite granules and small pebbles) probably from the Royal Society Range can be found; the drift mantle is thin and patchy with bedrock a little below the surface

Patterned ground:

Hummocky ground thaw

Surface weathering or surface features:

Nil; new ground surface

Soil

Soil parent material:

Till from Ross Glacial advance; disturbed soil with extensive salt precipitation

Previous disturbance:

Extensive ground disturbance from soil removal and scraping

Soil weathering stage:

1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous; the site is dry but the soil is moist because of the high salt conceemtration

Biological activity:

Some yellow lichen on nearby basalt pebbles