55

Site number:

55

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/12/01

Reason Sampled:

Soil crust examination, single sample

Description:

NE facing slope, about 15m above glacier level, on a scree slope on the lower slopes of ridge, 2km NNW of Mt.Kenyon

Altitude:

1700 m

Aspect:

NE

Slope:

25 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-35 °C

Frozen ground depth:

30 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

30cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Ferrar Dolerite sills outcrop with Beacon Group sediments, these rocks forming the main components of the tills which mantle most of the lower slopes

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Subrounded to subangular dolerite cobbles and pebbles with moderate surface staining; accumulated fine material forming a surface crust

Soil

Soil parent material:

Mainly dolerite and some fine grained sedimentary rocks with some addition of aeolian sediment (snow loess)

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous; numerous snow patches but no thawing

Biological activity:

Nil observed