Permafrost and soil moisture investigations for comparison with soils from moist coastal regions
Description:
On the west side of the un-named valley between East and West Beacon peaks; about 200m from the west wall of the valley and 1.4km from the valley mouth and .7km ESE from West Beacon and 2.3km NW of East Beacon; at the edge of a valley side footslope covered with extremely large sandstone boulders; a flattish till covered surface
Altitude:
1800 m
Aspect:
-
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 49.5' S 160° 49.8' E
77° 49.5' S 160° 49.8' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.825 160.8300
-77.825 160.8300
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.004 0.0008
0.004 0.0008
Locality
Beacon Heights, on the south side of Upper Taylor Glacier between East and West Beacon
Survey
not recorded
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Costal Mountain
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)
Soil temp (°C)
Notes
0
3
soil surface
2
-1.7
5
-3.6
110
-7
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
1 cm
Frozen type:
ice-cemented over dry frozen
Frozen comment:
1cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Local outcropping rocks are Ferrar Dolerite and Beacon Sandstone; the till at this site comprises predominantly dolerite and sandstone but the till has probably come from multiple glaciations with thin accessions; large sandstone boulders appear to overlie oxidised dolerite clasts while some cavernously weathered boulders contain boulders of mixed lithology; smaller erratics comprising rocks with compositions from outside the immediate area indicate till and ice sheet movement possibly from a down- valley source
Patterned ground:
Nil at the site but subdued patterned ground occurs 40m from the site and has 60cm deep troughs
Surface weathering or surface features:
Dolerite clasts are strongly oxidised with a reddish brown colour and a weathering rind; pitting on dolerite boulders is well developed; sandstone clasts are strongly oxidised and show some surface hardening; some boulders have cavernous weathering; the cobble/pebble pavement is well developed but ventifaction is weak
Xerous; no readily available source of water; some snow falls in winter and summer months but most is lost through ablation or by blowing away
Biological activity:
Only endolithic algae observed below the surface of sandstone boulders or outcrops
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
764a
-2
–
0
cm
surface cobbles, pebbles and granules; clasts subrounded, strongly stained and some with weakly developed pitting; smaller particles strongly oxidised and altered,
764b
0
–
10
cm
brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy pebble and cobble gravel; firmly cohesive and frosted; smaller rock particles mainly rounded to subrounded; quartz particles moderately stained and dolerite and granite particles strongly stained and partly altered; sharp boundary, drill core samples in ice-cemented ground