Permafrost and soil moisture investigations for comparison with soils from moist coastal regions
Description:
Near the centre and towards the south of the valley floor surface between East and West Beacon on an old undulating till surface about 1.2km southeast of West Beacon and 1.8km west-northwest of East Beacon; the valley floor surface is uneven and is marked by a series of small ridges and hollows
Altitude:
1800 m
Aspect:
S
Slope:
5 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 49.7' S 160° 50.4' E
77° 49.7' S 160° 50.4' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.8283 160.8400
-77.8283 160.8400
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.0008 0.0008
0.0008 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:
Central Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
5 ~ cm
Frozen type:
dry frozen over hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
~ 5cm
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 and is bouldery to cobbly;
Patterned ground:
Polygons are approximately 20m across with 15cm deep troughs but appear inactive
Surface weathering or surface features:
Staining of dolerite and sandstone clasts varies from weak to very strong; the pavement is dominantly subrounded cobble and granular clasts many of which are polished and pitted; salts occur beneath some surface stones
Soil
Soil parent material:
Bouldery to cobbly sandy gravel till derived from sandstones and dolerite; a few weathered granite fragments are present
Xerous; some snow falls in winter and summer months but most is lost through ablation or by blowing away; there are snow remnants in patterned ground cracks
Biological activity:
Only endolithic algae observed below the surface of sandstone boulders or outcrops
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
768a
-3
–
0
cm
surface cobbles and pebbles; subrounded and moderately to strongly stained and some polished clasts; moderately developed pavement surface;
768b
0
–
6
cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) cobbly to bouldery sand; weakly to moderately cohesive; a few salt patches; rock particles rounded to subrounded, strongly stained and some strongly altered; indistinct boundary,
768c
6
–
11
cm
strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) cobbly to bouldery silty sand; weakly to moderately cohesive; weakly developed diffuse salt horizon; large rock particles mainly subangular and weakly stained but some smaller particles strongly altered; indistinct boundary,
768d
11
–
22
cm
brownish yellow to yellowish brown (10YR 6/6 - 5/4) sandy silty cobbly gravel; weakly to moderately cohesive; some scattered salts; some sandstone and dolerite ghosts; rock particles mostly subangular and unstained; indistinct boundary,
768e
22
–
30
cm
brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) cobbly to bouldery silty to sandy gravel; weakly cohesive; larger rock particles subangular and unstained but some small particles distinctly altered; some diffuse patches of darker oxidised soil; indistinct boundary,
768f
30
–
50
cm
brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) cobbly to bouldery sandy gravel; loose; larger rock particles mainly subangular and unstained; sharp boundary
768g
50
–
55
cm
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/3) very hard ice-cemented, drill core samples in ice-cemented ground
768h
55
–
71
cm
] pale brown (10YR 6/3),
768i
71
–
85
cm
] pale brown (10YR 6/3)
768j
85
–
110
cm
] pale brown (10YR 6/3) drilling tube lost in the hole