a gently sloping facet of a broad ridge surface formed as a result of volcanic flow debris, situated about 250m upslope and to the NW of Scott Base; this site is situated 2m downslope from the initial 1989/90 site of application of LiCl
Altitude:
100 m
Aspect:
SE
Slope:
2 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
75° 50' S 166° 45' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-75.83 166.75
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.08 0.04
Locality
Pram Point near Scott Base
Survey
not recorded
Climate
Soil climate zone:
coastal mountain
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)
Soil temp (°C)
Notes
0
10.6
surface
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-18
°C
Frozen ground depth:
28 cm
Frozen type:
hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
28
Geology
Geological setting:
the deposit comprises old scoria flows of the McMurdo Volcanics with the surface rock being fragmented mainly into cobble and boulder sized clasts; commonly found are small rounded pebbles of granitic and sedimentary rocks and these are probably derived from the mainland, having been transported by the former expanded Ross Sea Glacier, and deposited as it retreated from Ross Island
Patterned ground:
weakly developed
Surface weathering or surface features:
non to weakly developed
Soil
Soil parent material:
predominantly fragmented basaltic scoria, probably with minor inclusions of glaciogenic detritus
Previous disturbance:
the site is in an area which is subject to relatively high human impact from walking, cable laying etc; there have been previous disturbances at the sample locality from establishing the leaching trial and subsequent samplings from adjacent plots
xerous to subxerous; the site receives annual snowfall much of which blows away or ablates; summer snowfalls may moisten the upper few cm of the soil
Biological activity:
nil at site but some lichen and small moss patches in the general area
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
670a
surface pavement of pebbly to cobbly gravel; some white salt accumulations beneath surface pebbles,
670b
light olive grey (5Y 6/3) pebble gravel; weakly cohesive with weakly developed vesicular structure and a weakly formed surface crust; smaller rock particles subrounded and unstained and larger particles subangular and unstained; indistinct boundary,
670c
light olive grey (5Y 6/3) slightly silty pebble to cobble gravel; slightly moist; loose; rock particles subrounded to subangular and unstained; indistinct boundary,
670d
light olive grey (5Y 6/2) slightly silty pebble to cobble gravel; moderately cohesive and slightly frosted; rock particles subangular to subrounded and unstained; sharp boundary,
670e
pale olive (5Y 6/3) pebbly silty gravel; extremely hard and ice-cemented; rock particles subangular and subrounded and unstained,
670f
]
670g
] drill core; dark grey (10YR 4/1) bouldery basaltic