The site lies within the zone of lake benches formed by former rises in the level of Lake Vanda. water flows; the slope is about 4o to the south and 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 metere 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, in December 1995 and in January 1998. Samplings were made from the irrigated plot and at 1 m intervals to 3 m down slope, from above the irrigated plot and from the H2O control plot. This sample is from the H2O control plot.
Altitude:
200 m
Aspect:
S
Slope:
8 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GGC
GPS
GPS
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 31.18' S 161° 40.80' E
77° 51' S 166° 48' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.51970 161.6800
-77.850 166.800
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.00008 0.0008
0.008 0.008
Locality
North side of Lake Vanda in Wright Valley, near the eastern end on a sloping fan surface
Survey
Not recorded
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Xerous to subxerous, dry valley floor zone
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-20
°C
Frozen ground depth:
35 cm
Frozen type:
dry frozen, some weak ice cementing at a few sites
Frozen comment:
Permafrost ~35cm, from 2yrs temp monitoring
Geology
Geological setting:
The site lies within the zone of lake benches 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 surfaces with a well developed small pebble pavement with some clasts showing some ventifaction;
Soil
Soil parent material:
Moderately sorted sandy fan gravels
Previous disturbance:
Site previously disturbed from sampling activities for LiCl leaching trial and a treading trial; probably subject to other random treading disturbances
Minimal moisture from snowfall with very low soil moisture contents
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
844f
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand; loose; rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,
844b
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,
844c
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,
844d
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,
844e
30
–
40
cm
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4 - 5Y 7/3) gravelly sand; loose; rock particles subrounded to angular and unstained,