The site is on the eastern side of Sessrumnir valley in the Asgard Range, approximately 15 km SW of Lake Vanda and 9.5 km from the SE end of the Wright Upper Glacier; the surface is a broad moraine covered rising surface, at somewhat greater elevation than the main part of Sessrumnir Valley; the ground surface is uneven with occasional small knolls and minor hollows the sample site is at the northern end of a shallow depression
Altitude:
1750 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 37.1' S 160° 58.74' E
77° 37.2' S 161° 49.2' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.6183 160.97900
-77.6200 161.8200
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.0008 0.00008
0.0008 0.0008
Locality
Asgard Range in the McMurdo Dry Valleys
Survey
not recorded
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)
Soil temp (°C)
Notes
1
8.6
5
7.7
10
4.5
16
1.9
20
0
25
-2.1
30
-4.2
35
-5.7
40
-6
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-30
°C
Frozen ground depth:
40 cm
Frozen type:
hard ice cemented
Frozen comment:
40cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Sessrumnir Valley contains very old glacial deposits and well weathered soils; the benches on the eastern and western sides of the valley are probably much older than the surfaces and the deposits on the valley floor but remnant snow sheets may prevented weathering from taking place; the deposits appear to be largely of local origin with dolerite and sandstone the components of the till.
Patterned ground:
nil at site
Surface weathering or surface features:
Surface cobbles and boulders are subrounded with some distinct surface staining but lacking strong oxidation; moderate disaggregation and crumbling
Soil
Soil parent material:
Cobbly to bouldery moderately weathered sandy gravel moraine derived from coarse dolerite and sandstone
Xerous, recent snowfall which has ablated with negligible soil moistening observed; small snow patches near the site
Biological activity:
nil at site
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
795f
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravel; very hard, ice cemented; rock particles subangular and unstained.
795a
-2 – 0 cm
surface pavement of cobbles, pebbles and some boulders; subrounded to subangular, and moderately stained with some coarse grained clasts showing granular disintegration; small accumulations of salts beneath some clasts,
795b
0 – 1 cm
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) pebbly and cobbly gravelly sand; weakly cohesive; weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles subrounded to subangular, weakly stained but moderately altered; distinct boundary,
795c
1 – 15 cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy cobble and boulder gravel; weakly cohesive; few small salt flecks in patches and around stones; rock particles mainly subangular to subrounded, mainly unstained but moderately altered; indistinct boundary,
795d
15 – 30 cm
yellowish brown to light yellowish brown (10YR 5/6-6/4) sandy cobble and boulder gravel; loose; rock particles mainly subangular, unstained and partly altered; indistinct boundary,
795e
30 – 40 cm
yellowish brown (slightly moist 10YR 5/6) cobble and boulder gravel; loose; rock particles subangular, unstained and partly altered; sharp boundary,