95

Site number:

95

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1964/12/16

Reason Sampled:

Soil characterisation

Description:

On the lower slopes near the south of the basin like surface at Roberts Massif; the landscape unit comprises an extensive glacial retreat surface, formed following retreat of a tongue of polar ice; a strongly rolling to hilly surface with moraine loops marking retreat stages; the site is a convex upper slope on the west side of a broad moraine loop ridge

Altitude:

2050 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

5 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Inland mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-45 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

Geology

Geological setting:

Young till overlies older till, and dolerite on the lower surfaces at Roberts Massif; north of the ice tongue at Grass Bluff, the till forms a series of retreat surfaces marked by bouldery moraine loops; the surface represents the latest stage of polar ice retreat

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface boulders are mainly subangular with weak superficial staining; insignificant pavement development

Soil

Soil parent material:

Dolerite till with some Beacon Group sedimentary material and older till material

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Ultraxerous; no snow

Biological activity:

Nil observed