Soil moisture and bulk density examination; examination of the effects of treading on a Scott base track
Description:
Approximately 150m northwest of Scott Base beside and on a long established walking track route from Scott Base to McMurdo; samples a & b from alongside the walking track and samples c & d on the track surface
Altitude:
40 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer
GGC
IBC
GPS
Yes
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 51' S 166° 48' E
77° 50.52' S 166° 45' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.850 166.800
-77.84200 166.75
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.008 0.008
0.00008 0.04
Locality
Scott base, Ross Island
Survey
Ross Island & Vicinity, 1;250 000 US Geological Survey
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Coastal Antarctic
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-18
°C
Frozen ground depth:
35 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
35cm
Geology
Geological setting:
The deposit comprises old scoria flows of the McMurdo Volcanics with the surface rock being fragmented mainly into cobble and boulder sized clasts; commonly found are small rounded pebbles of granitic and sedimentary rocks and these are probably derived from the mainland, having been transported by the former expanded Ross Sea Glacier, and deposited as it retreated from Ross Island
Patterned ground:
Nil at site
Surface weathering or surface features:
Surface rocks are unstained but some have a weak but distinct polish; some clasts have calcium carbonate coatings on undersides
Soil
Soil parent material:
Predominantly fragmented basaltic scoria, probably with minor inclusions of glaciogenic detritus; the walking track surface has been partly compacted
Previous disturbance:
A high level of foot traffic disturbance on the track surface since the late 1950's; minor disturbance alongside the track