Permafrost and soil moisture investigations for comparison with soils from moist coastal regions
Description:
On the southeast side of the valley on a higher part of the valley floor surface, West Beacon on an old undulating till surface about 1.7km southeast of West Beacon and 1.2km west-northwest of East Beacon; the site is on the floor of a small elongated gully, the floor of which is about 15m across
Altitude:
1850 m
Aspect:
N
Slope:
1 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 49.8' S 160° 51.3' E
77° 49.8' S 160° 51.3' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.8300 160.8550
-77.8300 160.8550
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
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)
Soil temp (°C)
Notes
95
-9
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
5 ~ cm
Frozen type:
dry frozen
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:
Nil on the gully floor but weakly developed on the gully sides
Surface weathering or surface features:
Cobbles and boulders have an olive rather than a reddish brown surface colour and exfoliation is well developed, particularly on coarser textured dolerite clasts; the pavement is well developed; salt deposits are formed over some dolerite clasts
Soil
Soil parent material:
Bouldery to cobbly sandy gravel till derived mainly from dolerite but with some sandstone
Xerous; some snow falls in winter and summer months but most is lost through ablation or by blowing away; there are snow some significant snow remnants within 5m; the ground surface has a paler appearance than elsewhere which may indicate that the site may have been moist in the past
Biological activity:
Only endolithic algae observed below the surface of sandstone boulders or outcrops
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
769i
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) bouldery gravel; loose; some salt accumulations on rock faces; rock particles subangular to angular, unstained and moderately to strongly altered
769a
-3 – 0 cm
surface pebbles and cobbles; rounded to subrounded moderately stained and exfoliated,
769b
0 – 3 cm
brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy bouldery gravel; loose to weakly cohesive; rock particles mainly subangular and weakly stained but many are strongly altered and disaggregating; some salt flecks; distinct boundary,
769c
3 – 15 cm
brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) bouldery to pebbly sandy gravel; slightly moist; moderately cohesive; rock particles mainly subangular and unstained but some fragmented and altered; distinct boundary,
769d
15 – 25 cm
brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) bouldery gravel with some sand; slightly moist; abundant salt accumulations on rock fracture faces; rock particles angular to subangular, unstained with larger clasts strongly disaggregating; indistinct boundary,
769e
25 – 50 cm
dark brown (7.5YR 4/4-3/2) bouldery gravel consisting mainly of disaggregating dolerite boulders; abundant salt accumulations on some rock fracture faces; rock particles angular to subangular and unstained with larger clasts strongly disaggregating; indistinct boundary,
769f
50 – 70 cm
brown to dark brown (10YR 4/4) bouldery gravel; loose; rock particles angular to subangular, unstained but partly altered and some crumbled; indistinct boundary,
769g
70 – 90 cm
dark yellowish brown to yellowish brown (10YR 4/6-5/8) bouldery gravel; loose; rock particles subangular and unstained but partly altered; indistinct boundary,
769h
90 – 110 cm
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) bouldery gravel; loose; rock particles subangular, unstained and moderately to strongly altered; indistinct boundary,