Browse Data | 1964 - Shackleton Glacier

Site Information

Site number:
87
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1964/12/13
Reason Sampled:
Soil characterisation
Description:
A narrow (40m) stable sloping ridge surface, 7.5km ESE of Misery Pk with predominantly dolerite rock outcrop but with pockets of drift or regolith material
Altitude:
2400 m
Aspect:
SE
Slope:
5 °
Location Data
Observer IBC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 85° 33' S 177° 30' W
Latitude Longitude DD -85.550 -177.50
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 -14 (sunny) air in shade
1 -2
15 -4.5
34 -8
45 -9
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-45 °C
Frozen ground depth:
0 cm
Frozen type:
Dry frozen
Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:
The higher surfaces at Roberts Massif comprise mainly dolerite outcrops with patches of drift materials; surface age appears to increase with increasing elevation and sculptured dolerite occurs on uppermost surfaces
Patterned ground:
Nil
Surface weathering or surface features:
A stable, smooth, sloping surface with a moderately developed pebble/cobble pavement and very few upstanding clasts; surface rocks strongly stained, tabular/subrounded and occasionally ventiform

Soil

Soil parent material:
Doleritic till
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 5 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Ultraxerous; surface devoid of snow cover
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
87a 0 – 5 cm light reddish brown to light brown (5YR 6/3-7.5YR 6/4) gravelly cobbly sand; loose; salts beneath larger surface stones; rock particles mainly subrounded, moderately to strongly stained and moderately to strongly altered; distinct boundary,
87b 5 – 9 cm reddish yellow (7.5YR 8/4) gravelly sand forming a distinct almost continuous salt horizon; salt accumulations giving firm cohesion; rock particles subrounded to subangular, strongly stained, and strongly altered; sharp boundary,
87c 9 – 17 cm reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) gravelly sand with boulders; cohesive; some salts diffused through the horizon and through disaggregating rocks; rock particles subangular, moderately to strongly stained and moderately altered; distinct boundary,
87d 17 – 46 cm yellowish red (5YR 5/8) cobbly gravelly sand forming patches of more strongly coloured disaggregating rock material amongst brown (7.5YR 5/4) soil; loose; rock particles subangular and mainly unstained but smaller particles moderately stained moderately altered; diffuse boundary,
87e 46 – 56 cm brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) cobbly sandy gravel; loose; rock particles subangular and unstained to weakly stained .

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
87a 0-5cm 0.0 5.0
87b 5-9cm 5.0 9.0
87c 9-17cm 9.0 17.0
87d 17-46cm 17.0 46.0
87e 46-56cm 46.0 56.0
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
87a 6.3 1.1 1.4 <0.05 0.02 <0.01 2.4 0.1 . 0.18  
87b 6.8 150.0 7.1 66.6 0.35 <0.01 140.0 90.0 . 14.7  
87c 6.3 150.0 9.0 129.0 0.3 <0.01 82.4 170.0 . 10.2  
87d 6.1 10.0 6.2 9.3 0.02 <0.01 15.0 17.1 . 1.75  
87e 6.8 10.0 6.5 7.1 0.02 <0.01 10.4 11.1 . 1.16  
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
87a 71 36.3 23.9 27.7 6.0 2.3 1.9 1.4 0.49 .
87b 92 36.9 18.7 26.2 7.5 4.2 3.6 2.2 0.63 .
87c 86 25.9 19.5 32.7 9.8 5.2 4.1 2.0 0.77 .
87d 68 35.6 25.7 21.9 7.3 4.6 3.0 1.3 0.6 .
87e 31.6 18.3 22.9 9.9 7.6 6.2 2.9 0.63 .
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
87a 40.0 . . . . . . 10.0 . 25.0 . . 25.0 .
87b 40.0 20.0 . . 5.0 . . 30.0 . 5.0 . . . .
87c 50.0 5.0 . . 20.0 . . 5.0 . 20.0 . . . .
87d 40.0 . . . 10.0 . . 25.0 . 15.0 . . 10.0 .
87e 35.0 10.0 . . 5.0 . . 35.0 . 5.0 . 5.0 5.0 .
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
87a M22/0720 medium coarse
87a M22/0721 White lid small fine
87a M22/6845 Glass vial metal lid
87b M22/0722 White lid small coarse
87b M22/0723 White lid small fine
87b M22/6846 Glass vial metal lid
87c M22/0724 medium coarse
87c M22/0725 medium fine
87c M22/6847 Glass vial metal lid
87d M22/0726 medium coarse
87d M22/0727 White lid small fine
87d M22/6848 Glass vial metal lid
87e M22/0728 White lid small coarse
87e M22/0729 White lid small fine
87e M22/6849 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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