847

Site number:

847

Authors:

IBC, MRB, JK

Date recorded:

1999/01/11

Reason Sampled:

Active layer/permafrost properties and instrumentation for measurement of soil thermal moisture and site climate

Description:

About 150m E of the seismic station at the foot of Bull Pass; on an undulating old moraine surface which is about 15m above the valley floor plain; near the western end of the topographic feature; The surface is flat but with shallow (10cm) undulation and boulders up to 80cm

Altitude:

150 m

Aspect:

Flat

Slope:

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-20 °C

Frozen ground depth:

125 cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

> 125cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Old till and moraine suraces may have been partly modified by fluvial processes by fan deposition from Bull Pass; the sediments have a high proportion of fines and may be Peleus Till; there is a well develped cobbly to bouldery pavement surface from a mixture of rock typesMemo

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Exfoliation strong on coarse grained rocks; well developed ventifacts with sharp ridges; moderate polish on fine grained rocks; clasts subrounded

Soil

Soil parent material:

Sandy/silty till with granite (20%) granodiorite (20%) dolerite (40%) and dyke rock (2%) clasts; there may be a paleosol about 75cm as there appears to be a slight weathering change at this depth

Previous disturbance:

Negligible apart from possible light foot traffic

Soil weathering stage:

3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous liquid water seldom available

Biological activity:

Nil