846

Site number:

846

Authors:

IBC, MRB, JK

Date recorded:

1999/01/09

Reason Sampled:

Active layer/permafrost properties and fuel spill characterisation

Description:

250m 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; the site is close to the location of an old oil spill which was described in 1990 (Site 577); the site is adjacent to some old tracks which were part of the previous Marble Point camp system; bulldozer tracks from more recent clean up activity are present; at this site temperature and moisture sensors were installed to determine differences between fuel contaminated and non fuel contaminated ssites

Altitude:

70 m

Aspect:

Flat

Slope:

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal Antarctic

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-18 °C

Frozen ground depth:

60 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

60cm

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:

Weak nets, 20m across with less than 25cm troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

At the sample site, fuel contamination has formed a smoooth and caked surface; some CaCO3 coatings under surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Gneiss, granodiorite, marble, granite, stony to bouldery till

Previous disturbance:

Appreciable surface from vehicle traffic, camp activity and fuel contamination

Soil weathering stage:

6

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous

Biological activity:

Nil at site but moss locally abundant