Site Information

Site number:
808
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1995/01/20
Reason Sampled:
Permafrost and soil moisture investigations
Description:
Approximately 700 m north of site 805; approximately 8.25 km WSW of Larsen Crag, on the south west side of Greenville Valley, on a descending valley floor surface formed below a higher terrace like surface; the surface is slightly undulating with minor topography formed from patterned ground features
Altitude:
1175 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer GGC IBC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 76° 46.6' S 160° 44.5' E 76° 45.1' S 160° 49.1' E
Latitude Longitude DD -76.7767 160.742 -76.7517 160.8180
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.0008 0.004 0.0008 0.0008
Locality Greenville Valley, southwest of Northwind Glacier in the Convoy Range
Survey not recorded

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)Soil temp (°C)Notes
1 -8
5 -7
10 -6
15 -7
20 -7
28 -7
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-27 °C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
ice-cemented at 28cm

Geology

Geological setting:
Greenville Valley comprises mainly dolerite with some minor sedimentary rocks (Weller Coal Measures) and has been formed by ancient ice over riding the Convoy Range from the west; valley head-wall deposits occur mainly around the south-western side of the valley and represent alpine glacial deposits; towards the western end of Greenville Valley, the surface is a dolerite platform with a thin irregular till cover with occasional sandstone and decomposed granite erratics; on the lower surfaces which slope and drain towards the north-east, tills deposits are more extensive, have more strongly developed patterned ground and have a greater abundance of pink granite erratics; at this site sandstone, presumably from outcrops further down valley accounts for about 2% of the surface clasts
Patterned ground:
weakly developed 4-8m nets with 20cm troughs
Surface weathering or surface features:
Dolerite clasts are moderately to strongly oxidised, sub rounded to sub angular and moderately abraded; some cyclic staining and exfoliation of oxidised surfaces; coarse grained clasts strongly disaggregated; some salts beneath surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:
Doleritic till with scattered granite and sandstone over ice-cemented ground
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Xerous to sub xerous; several snowfalls and a recent fall within 4 days; most snow cover removed by ablation but some soil moistening in the upper few centimetres; no liquid flows
Biological activity:
Occasional yellow and green lichen in rock fissures and some patches of black lichen
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
808a -2 – 0 cm surface cobble and boulders; well developed pavement; clasts mainly subrounded to rounded and moderately to strongly stained; medium pitting and weakly ventiform; salts beneath many surface stones,
808b 0 – 3 cm dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) cobbly gravelly sand; very firm and frosted; moderately developed vesicular structure; rock particles subangular to subrounded, strongly stained and strongly altered; distinct boundary,
808c 3 – 10 cm dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) pebbly to cobbly gravel; firm and & d partly frozen; diffuse salts but some large very salty patches (sampled separately); rock particles mainly angular, weakly stained with smaller particles strongly altered; distinct boundary,
808e 10 – 28 cm brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy bouldery to pebbly gravel; moderately cohesive; rock particles mainly unstained and angular comprising some fragmented boulder material; many smaller particles strongly altered; sharp boundary,
808f 28 – 44 cm pale brown (10YR 6/3) ice-cemented gravel (drill core); rock particles subangular to subrounded with some moderately altered,
808g 44 – 57 cm light gray (10YR 7/2) ice-cemented gravel (drill core); rock particles subangular with some moderately altered,
808h 57 – 74 cm light gray (10YR 7/2) ice-cemented gravel (drill core); rock particles subangular with some moderately altered;
808i 74 – 90 cm light gray (10YR 7/2) ice-cemented gravel (drill core); rock particles subangular; some moderately altered,
808j 90 – 102 cm light gray (10YR 7/2) ice-cemented gravel (drill core); rock particles angular,
808k 102 – 115 cm light gray (10YR 7/2) ice-cemented gravel (drill core)

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
808a 2-0 -2 0 0.49
808b 0-3 0 3 1.42 4.7
808c 3-10 3 10 1.54 3.45
808d 3-10 3 10 1.45 4.77
808e 10-28 10 28 1.57 3.3
808f 28-44 28 44 8.15
808g 44-57 44 57 8.15
808h 57-74 57 74 10.92
808i 74-90 74 90 11.44
808j 90-102 90 102 10.69
808k 102-115 102 115 10.03
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
808a 17.62
808b 62.36
808c 42.72
808d 62.29
808e 49.94
808f 30.4
808g 21.45
808h 26.28
808i 42.59
808j 27.93
808k 31.7
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
808a :
808b :
808c :
808d :
808e :
808f :
808g :
808h :
808i :
808j :
808k :

Photos

Photo record:
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