Approx 4.5km SE of Mt Rich and 9km ENE of Bastion Hill on an extensive undulating very bouldery moraine landsurface formed by over- riding and retreat of ice from Diamond Glacier; pockets of fine gravelly till occur amongst larger granitic boulders
Altitude:
850 m
Aspect:
S
Slope:
5 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
79° 49' S 158° 45' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-79.817 158.75
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.008 0.04
Locality
Victoria Land, Trans-antarctic Mountains; at the southern end of the Cook Mountains in the Brown Hills region of the Darwin Glacier
Survey
USGS 1:250,000 1963; Carlyon Glacier ST 57-60/13*
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Coastal mountain
Site temperature profile
Depth (cm)
Soil temp (°C)
Notes
0
-8
air temp in shade
0
5
soil surface
8
1
15
-1
23
-2
30
-2
on frozen ground surface
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-24
°C
Frozen ground depth:
30 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
30cm
Geology
Geological setting:
Bouldery till from Granite Harbour Intrusives is widespread on the surface
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed large nets
Surface weathering or surface features:
Boulders are mainly subangular to angular, up to 5m across and weakly stained with little exfoliation or cavernous weathering; small salt accumulations occasionally found under some stones
Soil
Soil parent material:
Very bouldery till with a dominantly sandy granular pebble matrix, derived from mainly local granodiorite and granite rocks
Xerous to subxerous; the surface is predominantly snow free; some patches of ice in patterned ground cracks
Biological activity:
Yellow and black lichens are common on rock surfaces and on the soil in places
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
105a
0
–
8
cm
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) pebbly granular sand; loose; very weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles subangular to subrounded and weakly to moderately stained; distinct boundary,
105b
8
–
10
cm
light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) pebbly granular sand; weakly cohesive with weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles subangular to subrounded and weakly stained; distinct boundary,
105c
10
–
30
cm
yellowish brown (moist 10YR 5/4, dry 10YR 6/4) granular sand; moderately cohesive because of moistness; rock particles subrounded to subangular and weakly stained; sharp boundary, on frozen ground