Site Information

Site number:
820
Authors:
IBC
Date recorded:
2019/12/15
Reason Sampled:
Lithium chloride soil leaching experiment; the second sampling series to determining leaching rates in this environment
Description:
The site lies within the zone of lake benches formed by former rises in the level of Lake Vanda; to the south, there is some minor broad polygonal patterns indicating some ice cemented ground; the site is about half way up the fan. For the experiment in January 1994, two series of plots were established, about 20 m apart, with 3 adjacent 1 meter square plots being irrigated with a LiCl solution and 1 plot being irrigated with H2O as a control. After an initial sampling, subsequent samplings were made in January 1995 and in December 1995. Samplings were made from the irrigated plot and at 1 m intervals to 3 m down slope from above the irrigated plot and also from the H2O control plot. This sample is from the eastern plot series, 2-3m downslope from the application plot
Altitude:
200 m
Aspect:
S
Slope:
8 °
Location Data
Observer GGC IBC
GPS Yes
Latitude Longitude DMS 77° 31.3' S 161° 39.0' E 77° 31.18' S 161° 40.80' E
Latitude Longitude DD -77.5217 161.650 -77.51970 161.6800
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.0008 0.008 0.00008 0.0008
Locality North side of Lake Vanda in Wright Valley, near the eastern end on a sloping fan surface
Survey Lake Vanda Antarctica 1:50 000 Topographic Series, 1977

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Central Mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-20 °C
Frozen ground depth:
35 ~
Frozen type:
Dry frozen
Frozen comment:
~35

Geology

Geological setting:
The site lies within the zone of lake benchs formed by former rises in the level of Lake Vanda. The deposits are probably lake sediments that have been subsequently reworked by somewhat mild fan depositional processes from periodic stream flows from adjacent mountain slopes. The deposits have a dominantly sandy texture and are generally weakly to non stratified
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed large polygons
Surface weathering or surface features:
Undisturbed surface with a well developed small pebble pavement with some clasts showing some ventifaction

Soil

Soil parent material:
Partly sorted sandy fan gravel
Previous disturbance:
Nil at site but previous sampling on ground 1m away for LiCl leaching trial
Soil weathering stage:
6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Xerous to subxerous; minimal moisture from snowfall with very low soil moisture contents
Biological activity:
None observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
820a 0 – 5 cm surface pavement; subrounded to rounded pebbles with occasional cobbles and abundant granules and coarse sand; some clasts weakly to moderately ventiform,
820b 5 – 10 cm pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand; loose; few fine salt flecks adhering to rock particles; rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
820c 10 – 20 cm pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand; loose; a few fine salt flecks adhering to rock particles; rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
820d 20 – 30 cm pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand; loose; a few fine salt flecks adhering to rock particles; rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
820e 30 – 40 cm pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand; loose; rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
820a 0-5cm; 0 5 Yes
820b 5-10cm; 5 10 Yes
820c 10-20cm; 10 20 Yes
820d 20-30cm; 20 30 Yes
820e 30-40cm; 30 40 Yes
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
820a
820b
820c
820d
820e
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
820a :
820b :
820c :
820d :
820e :

Photos

Photo record:
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