Site Information

Site number:
80
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1964/12/10
Reason Sampled:
Soil characterisation
Description:
Approximately 1.5km NE of Wiest Bluff, on a smooth non bouldery surface forming the lower part of a gently concave surface
Altitude:
1900 m
Aspect:
NE
Slope:
2 °
Location Data
Observer IBC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 85° 21' S 176° 14' W
Latitude Longitude DD -85.350 -176.233
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.008
Locality Shackleton Glacier, Queen Maud Mountains, at the southern end of the Cumulus Hills, just north of Zaneveld Glacier junction with Shackleton Glacier
Survey USGS 1:250 000 1968; Liv Glacier SV 1-10/5

Climate

Soil climate zone:
Inland mountain
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)Soil temp (°C)Notes
3 1 (sunny conditions)
18 -10
35 -16
90 -20 on ice surface
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-40 °C
Frozen ground depth:
90 cm
Frozen type:
Stagnant old glacial ice
Frozen comment:
90cm

Geology

Geological setting:
Cover deposits are patchy, varying from bouldery felsenmeer regolith to intermittent till; surface features suggest that the till at this site may be somewhat older than on adjacent surfaces
Patterned ground:
Poorly developed large nets with boulders at edges, but a superimposed pattern of smaller less distinctive nets (c 2m)
Surface weathering or surface features:
A distinct pebble/cobble pavement comprising stained, moderately polished, subrounded rocks; weak ventifaction

Soil

Soil parent material:
Doleritic till
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Ultraxerous, no adjacent snow cover
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
80a 0 – 3 cm light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly silty sand; firmly cohesive; moderately developed fine vesicular structure; rock particles moderately stained with smaller particles strongly altered; distinct boundary,
80b 3 – 17 cm light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly silty sand; firmly cohesive; abundant white salts forming discrete 5cm+ segregations but also diffused through the entire horizon; rock particles subangular to subrounded, moderately and weakly stained and weakly to moderately altered; indistinct boundary,
80c 17 – 29 cm brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) gravelly silty sand; weakly cohesive; some white salts diffused through the horizon; larger rock particles subangular and weakly stained with smaller particles subrounded and moderately stained and altered; distinct boundary,
80d 29 – 65 cm yellow to olive yellow (10YR 7/6-2.5Y 6/6) bouldery sandy silt; loose; a few fine white salt flecks; rock particles mainly subangular and weakly stained but smaller particles subrounded and altered; indistinct boundary,
80e 65 – 90 cm yellow to olive yellow (10YR 7/6-2.5Y 6/6) bouldery sandy silt; loose; rock particles subangular and weakly stained but some smaller particles partly altered; becoming light olive grey (5Y 6/2) at the horizon base; sharp boundary, on ice.

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
80a 0-3cm 0.0 3.0
80b 3-17cm 3.0 17.0
80c 17-29cm 17.0 29.0
80d 29-65cm 29.0 65.0
80e 65-90cm 65.0 90.0
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
80a 7.2 22.0 4.3 2.7 0.03 0.6 12.5 13.0 . 3.22  
80b 6.9 325.0 17.8 44.5 0.42 2.4 59.8 320.0 . 35.0  
80c 7.7 3.8 6.3 12.0 0.075 4.3 11.4 6.5 . 2.1  
80d 7.7 3.0 3.2 13.1 0.1 6.6 5.5 6.3 . 1.96  
80e 7.7 2.8 0.2 6.4 0.05 4.4 1.0 4.8 . 1.19  
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
80a 83 30.3 15.2 17.8 5.3 5.5 13.7 11.7 0.55 .
80b 95 44.9 15.3 22.4 4.0 3.5 5.2 4.1 0.48 .
80c 91 36.8 19.9 20.2 5.3 5.7 6.6 4.9 0.61 .
80d 78 9.6 13.9 26.7 10.9 15.2 14.9 7.1 1.69 .
80e 86 9.6 15.3 27.8 11.9 17.0 14.3 2.7 1.35 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
80a 25.0 15.0 . . . . 15.0 25.0 . 10.0 . 5.0 5.0 .
80b 35.0 . 15.0 . . 15.0 15.0 10.0 . 10.0 . . . .
80c 40.0 . . . 10.0 . . 20.0 . 20.0 . . . .
80d 40.0 20.0 . . 15.0 . . 5.0 . 20.0 . . . .
80e 60.0 . . . 15.0 . . 15.0 . 10.0 . . . .
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
80a M22/0688 White lid small coarse
80a M22/0689 medium fine
80a M22/6831 Glass vial metal lid
80b M22/0690 White lid small coarse
80b M22/0691 large fine
80b M22/6832 Glass vial metal lid
80c M22/0692 White lid small coarse
80c M22/0693 medium fine
80c M22/6833 Glass vial metal lid
80d M22/0694 White lid small coarse
80d M22/0695 medium fine
80d M22/6834 Glass vial metal lid
80e M22/0696 White lid small coarse
80e M22/0697 medium fine
80e M22/6835 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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