854

Site number:

854

Authors:

IBC

Date recorded:

1999/12/01

Reason Sampled:

Long Term Ecological Research (nematode experimental area) site investigation of soil temperature characteristics; this site (LTER 5) is adjacent to Elevational Transect C plot and is the location at which temperature probes and a datalogger were installed for continuous recording soil temperatures for about the next 18 months

Description:

West (~60m) of LTM elevational transect C plot, on an elongated prominent bench surface, about 125m above the south side of Lake Hoare, and near the northern edge of the bench which forms part of an undulating ridge and gully/basin topography; the bench surface has well marked patterned ground and rises southwards merging into slope deposits from the north face of Andrews Ridge

Altitude:

175 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-21 °C

Frozen ground depth:

30 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

30cm

Geology

Geological setting:

The deposit is unweathered Ross I till, possibly derived from the Canada Glacier but almost certainly with an up-valley influence because of the presence of marble clasts from basement rocks; the tills may be fluvio-glacial owing to complex depositional ice-marginal processes as the sand and silt % generally increase downwards; the till is probably older than that at lower altitude closer to the lake and may be very slightly more oxidised

Patterned ground:

Moderately developed uneven active nets with troughs 75cm wide and 30cm deep

Surface weathering or surface features:

Weak surface staining on some clasts; some slight disaggregation and surface exfoliation on granites and weak ventifaction; calcium carbonate coatings on undersides of many clasts

Soil

Soil parent material:

Predominantly granite/gneiss/schist sandy gravel with silt increasing with depth; minor amounts of dolerite, volcanic (scoria), sandstone and marble

Previous disturbance:

Probably minor disturbance by foot traffic activity associated with biological research activity near the site

Soil weathering stage:

6 1 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous to subxerous

Biological activity:

Nil observed at site, nematodes present in adjacent soil; some green algae beneath marble clasts in the general area