Site Information

Site number:
65
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1964/12/02
Reason Sampled:
Weathering examination
Description:
Near the edge of the Polar Plateau at the head of La Prade Valley, 4km SE of Shenk Pk.; an easy sloping Beacon sediment outcrop surface
Altitude:
2700 m
Aspect:
NE
Slope:
15 °
Location Data
Observer IBC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 85° 13' S 174° 29' W
Latitude Longitude DD -85.217 -174.483
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.008
Locality Shackleton Glacier, Queen Maud Mountains, on mountain slopes to the south of McGregor Glacier at the northern end of the Cumulus Hills
Survey USGS 1:250 000 1968; Liv Glacier SV 1-10/5

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Central mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-40 °C
Frozen ground depth:
0 NoObs
Frozen type:
NoObs
Frozen comment:
NoObs

Geology

Geological setting:
Beacon Group sediments, mainly sandstones outcrop widely but seldom have accumulations of weathered materials or soils
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:

Soil

Soil parent material:
Yellow weathered sandstone with a surface crust
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Xerous; abundant snow patches but no thawing observed
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
65a 0 – 5 cm pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) gravelly silty sand; loose but with a thin cohesive surface crust; sandstone particles platey and unstained and dolerite particles subrounded and moderately stained.

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
65 0-5cm 0 5
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
65 5.9 1.8 1.9 0.8 0.03 0.6 3.3 1.3 . 0.49  
Particle size distribution
Sample name< 2 mm2 - 0.5 mm0.5 - 0.25 mm0.25 - 0.1 mm0.1 - 0.05 mm0.05 - 0.02 mm0.02 - 0.002 mm< 0.002 mmFe2O3CaCO3Notes
65 64 28.6 14.7 18.1 7.4 9.8 11.3 9.2 0.88 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
65 30.0 25.0 . 25.0 . . . 10.0 . . . . 10.0 .
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
65 M22/0617 medium coarse
65 M22/0618 medium fine
65 M22/6800 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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