Permafrost and soil moisture investigations for comparison with soils from moist coastal regions
Description:
7m to the south of site 766, at the edge of a patterned ground crack; 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:
SW
Slope:
7 °
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
2
1.5
10
-6
20
-7.5
30
-7.5
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 11cm
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:
Polygon trough is .75m deep
Surface weathering or surface features:
A predominantly cobbly pavement surface with some small boulders; subrounded, strongly oxidised and wind polished clasts and some less oxidised clasts; some clasts moderately pitted; sandstones moderately stained; weakly ventiform; salts beneath some surface stones
Soil
Soil parent material:
Cobbly granular sandy gravel till derived from sandstones and dolerite
Xerous; some snow falls in winter and summer months but most is lost through ablation or by blowing away; snow remnants nearby in the patterned ground crack
Biological activity:
Only endolithic algae observed below the surface of sandstone boulders or outcrops
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
767a
-5
–
0
cm
weakly developed pavement of pebbles, cobbles and small boulders; subrounded to rounded clasts with strongly oxidised surfaces some exfoliation of surface oxidised skins; salt traces beneath some surface stones,
767b
0
–
3
cm
brown (7.5YR 5/4) pebbly and cobbly granular sand; weakly cohesive with weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles subangular to subrounded and strongly stained; distinct boundary,
767c
3
–
11
cm
brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/2 moist) pebbly to cobbly granular sandy gravel; loose to weakly cohesive; rock particles mainly subangular and moderately stained; sharp boundary,
767d
11
–
20
cm
light brown (7.5YR 6/4) ice-cemented sandy gravel; very hard; indistinct boundary,
767e
20
–
35
cm
light brown (7.5YR 6/4) ice-cemented cobbly and pebbly gravel; very hard, drill core samples in ice-cemented ground