Site Information

Site number:
83
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1964/12/12
Reason Sampled:
Soil characterisation
Description:
A rough uneven very bouldery young surface at the north of Roberts Massif near Everett Nunatak, about 200m from the edge of a tongue of glacial ice; boulders up to 3m across
Altitude:
1900 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 85° 29' S 177° 10' W
Latitude Longitude DD -85.483 -177.17
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.008 0.08
Locality Head of Shackleton Glacier at Roberts Massif, Queen Maud Mountains, on the edge of the Polar Plateau
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
0 -12 (sunny conditions) air temp
5 -7
30 -8
40 -9
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-45 °C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Dry frozen
Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:
Dolerite and Beacon Group sediments outcrop on overridden surfaces while deposits of old lithified till containing Ferrar Dolerite also occur; the older lithified till may be Sirius Formation; the landscape is old but geomorphic development is complicated by the movement and retreat of ice from several directions
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
Mainly unstained subangular dolerite boulders but some large rounded tillite boulders; some minor exfoliation; smaller granules and pebbles at the surface may have been wind transported; some darker coloured dolerite boulders may have been reworked

Soil

Soil parent material:
Till derived from dolerite, Beacon Group sediments, reworked older lithified till and some granitic material
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Ultraxerous, some patches of drift snow mainly behind larger boulders but no thawing
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
83a 0 – 7 cm pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy bouldery pebbly gravel; moderately cohesive; profuse salt flecks with some patches of concentrated salt; rock particles mainly subangular and unstained but some strongly altered; distinct boundary,
83b 7 – 40 cm pale yellow (5Y 7/3) bouldery pebbly sand; weakly cohesive; few salt flecks; rock particles mainly subangular to angular and unstained but some strongly altered

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
83a 0-7cm 0.0 7.0
83b 7-40cm 7.0 40.0
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
83a 8.8 18.0 4.1 1.4 0.02 <0.01 23.6 . . 2.52  
83b 8.1 5.8 5.4 2.1 0.03 0.2 12.2 . . 1.93  
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
83a 85 19.5 28.6 31.0 6.2 5.0 6.1 3.1 0.46 .
83b 85 18.2 24.8 31.1 6.5 6.1 8.6 4.3 0.44 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
83a 35.0 10.0 . . 10.0 . . 10.0 . 25.0 . 10.0 . .
83b 30.0 15.0 . . 5.0 . . 35.0 . 10.0 . 5.0 . .
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
83a M22/0706 White lid small coarse
83a M22/0707 medium fine
83a M22/6839 Glass vial metal lid
83b M22/0708 White lid small coarse
83b M22/0709 medium fine
83b M22/6840 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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