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 .8km from West Beacon and 2km from East Beacon; on the undulating moraine surface of the valley floor; on the north side of a shallow depression with a smooth surface
Altitude:
1775 m
Aspect:
S
Slope:
8 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 49.5' S 160° 50' E
77° 49.5' S 160° 50.0' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.825 160.83
-77.825 160.833
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.004 0.08
0.004 0.008
Locality
Beacon Heights, on the south side of Upper Taylor Glacier between East and West Beacon
Survey
not recorded
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)
Soil temp (°C)
Notes
1
-4.5
10
-5.5
20
-7.5
30
0
139
-10
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
dry frozen over hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
ice-cement at 33cm
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 of till; till lithology appears to represent locally derived rocks
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed at the site with 20m polygons and 15cm deep troughs
Surface weathering or surface features:
A predominantly cobbly pavement surface with subrounded, strongly oxidised and wind polished clasts; some clasts moderately pitted; sandstones moderately stained; weakly ventiform; salts beneath some surface stones
Soil
Soil parent material:
Cobbly sandy gravel till derived from sandstones and dolerite
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
765a
-4 – 0 cm
surface cobbles, pebbles and granules; clasts subrounded, strongly stained and some with weakly developed pitting; smaller particles strongly oxidised and altered,
765b
0 – 6 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,
765c
6 – 15 cm
765d
15 – 25 cm
brown (10YR 5/3) sandy gravel,
765e
25 – 35 cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy gravel, drill core samples in ice-cemented ground