Approximately 10.5km SW of Larsen Crag, at the head of Greenville Valley, about 200m from outcrops of the Weller Coal Measures Formation; the surface is part of an extensive almost flat surface forming the head of the valley but which has minor undulations about 1m high resulting from ice scouring; the profile site is on the crest of a small rise
Altitude:
1400 m
Aspect:
nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
GGC
IBC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
76° 46.6' S 160° 44.5' E
76° 46.3' S 160° 45.1' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-76.7767 160.742
-76.7717 160.7520
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
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-27
°C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Dry frozen bedrock
Frozen comment:
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 dolerite and sedimentary rocks intermix in narrow bands and form a mosaic on the ground surface; the till cover is thin and patchy with the regolith consisting mainly of fractured bedrock
Patterned ground:
Nil at site
Surface weathering or surface features:
Sandstone clasts form a well developed pavement and have strong ventiform features; surface staining and polish are moderately to strongly developed; salt deposits occur beneath surface stones
Soil
Soil parent material:
Predominantly sandstone (95%) with some dolerite, as a thin cover of local drift over sandstone bedrock and ice cemented ground
Xerous to sub xerous; several snowfalls and a recent fall within 7 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
Horizon
Depth
Description
809a
-4
–
0
cm
surface cobbles, pebbles and small boulders mainly sandstone; well developed pavement; clasts mainly subrounded to rounded, strongly stained and polished; some exfoliating; weakly ventiform; salts beneath many surface stones,
809b
0
–
2
cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) pebbly to cobbly gravelly sand; loose; patches of salts around and beneath stones; rock particles mainly subrounded, angular to rounded and non to moderately stained; some particles strongly altered; distinct boundary,
809c
2
–
14
cm
yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) pebbly to bouldery gravel; weakly to moderately cohesive; few salt accretions; rock particles mainly angular and unstained; many smaller particles disaggregating and forming ghosts; distinct boundary,
809d
14
–
35
cm
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/6) silty to sandy cobble and boulder gravel; weakly cohesive to loose; sandstone rock particles angular and unstained; some sandstone clasts disaggregating and forming ghosts; sharp boundary, on sandstone bedrock