Active layer/permafrost properties and instrumentation for measurement of soil thermal, moisture and site climate
Description:
150m east of a small lake adjacent to the eastern edge of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier and 100m north of Surko Stream at the site of the old Marble Point construction camp; on a sloping, slightly undulating surface which over much of the area has undergone considerable disturbance from campsite construction and cleanup activity;
Altitude:
75 m
Aspect:
E
Slope:
4 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GPS
Yes
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 25' 11" S 163° 40.85' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.4198 163.6808
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.00015 0.0004
Locality
Marble Point, western side of McMurdo sound
Survey
US Geological Survey, Marble Point Quadrangle 1977, 1:50 000
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Coastal Antarctic
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)
Soil temp (°C)
Notes
3
1.6
18
0.9
30
-0.2
55
-1.2
68
-2.3
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-18
°C
Frozen ground depth:
68 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
68cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Rocks of the area are mainly basement marble, gneiss and granodiorite; the till mantle is variable in composition and may have been partially resorted by fluvial processes occurring adjacent to the glacier margin
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Some staining which may be relict; nil for other features; CaCo2 coatings on undersides of some clasts
Soil
Soil parent material:
Gneiss (45%), granodiorite (25%) marble (25%) granite (5%) stony to bouldery till
Previous disturbance:
Probably some surface disturbance from campsite and subsequent cleanup activity
weakly developed pebbly to bouldery pavement; slightly moist and weakly cohesive; some scatterd salts beneath some surface stones; unstained to weakly stained.
845b
0 – 9 cm
sandy pebble gravel; moist; weakly cohesive; slight weak staining on some clasts; clasts angular to subangular; diffuse boundary