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 1km from SW of West Beacon and 1.9km NW of East Beacon; on the undulating moraine surface of the valley floor; on the east side of a broad depression
Altitude:
1765 m
Aspect:
W
Slope:
60 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 49.6' S 160° 50' E
77° 49.6' S 160° 50.0' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.8267 160.83
-77.8267 160.833
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.0008 0.08
0.0008 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
3.5
5
0
10
-3.5
20
-7
25
-6.5
73
-9.5
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
5 cm
Frozen type:
dry frozen over hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
ice-cement at 22cm
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:
Polygons are 7m across with .75m troughs
Surface weathering or surface features:
A predominantly cobbly pavement surface with some small boulders; subrounded, strongly oxidised and wind polished clasts but some coarse grained dolerite crumbled; 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; some small snow remnants in nearby patterned ground cracks
Biological activity:
Only endolithic algae observed below the surface of sandstone boulders or outcrops
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
766a
-3
–
0
cm
surface granules, pebbles, cobbles and small boulders; weakly developed pavement surface; rounded to subrounded; clast surfaces strongly oxidised with moderately pitted fine grained clasts and crumbled coarse grained clasts; a few salt patches beneath some surface stones,
766b
0
–
3
cm
brown (7.5YR 5/4) pebbly and cobbly sandy gravel; weakly cohesive with weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles subrounded to subangular and moderately stained; distinct boundary,
766c
3
–
10
cm
brown (7.5YR 5/4) pebbly to cobbly sandy gravel; loose; diffuse salts forming a weakly developed salt horizon; rock particles rounded to subrounded and moderately to strongly stained; a few ghosts of disaggregated sandstone; indistinct boundary,
766d
10
–
23
cm
brown (7.5YR 5/4) pebbly to cobbly sandy gravel; loose; rock particles rounded to subrounded and strongly stained; sharp boundary,
766e
23
–
31
cm
ice cemented ground; rock particles subangular and weakly stained, drill core samples in ice-cemented ground