903

Site number:

903

Authors:

IBC

Date recorded:

1999/12/11

Reason Sampled:

Comparison of a soil outside the Lake Hoare LTER experimental area and with a different topographic setting with those at the LTER site

Description:

Approximately 1.2k south of Lake Hoare and 2.1km ESE of Suess Glacier; on a sloping ridge surface; a broad undulating ridge surface with minor knolls; the site is several metres below a small knoll

Altitude:

520 m

Aspect:

E

Slope:

8 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal mountain;

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-23 °C

Frozen ground depth:

0 Nd

Frozen type:

Nd

Frozen comment:

Nd

Geology

Geological setting:

Bedrock (granite, schist/gneiss, dolerite) outcrops on the ridge in places but the ridge is mostly covered with till; the till appears older than Ross I, perhaps equivalent to weathering stage III; the presence of basalt clasts indicates an age younger than the basalt outcrops in Taylor Valley; some very large granite erratics occur further to the west

Patterned ground:

Nil

Surface weathering or surface features:

Weak to moderate surface staining; some pitting and moderte to strong exfoliation; moderate to strong ventiforms and ssome weaak polish; many clasts angular to subangular but some subrounded; weak carbonate coating but distinctive salt accumulations beneath surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Mixed lithology sandy stony gravel till (granite 40% up to 1.2m, gneiss 25% up to 45cm, dolerite 20% up to 30cm, basalt 5%)

Previous disturbance:

Some old footprinting and soil pit examination sites in the general vicinity but nil observed at the site

Soil weathering stage:

6 2/3 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous to subxerous; a dry site with no adjacent snow patches

Biological activity:

Nil observed