Site Information

Site number:
115
Authors:
IBC, GGC
Date recorded:
1965/01/03
Reason Sampled:
Soil characterisation
Description:
Eastern end of the Brown Hills, near Diamond Hill and approximately 6km E of Diamond Glacier terminus; a small enclosed basin in an undulating glacially scoured landscape; the profile site is on the floor of the basin near the centre
Altitude:
200 m
Aspect:
Nil
Slope:
0 °
Location Data
Observer IBC
GPS No
Latitude Longitude DMS 79° 50' S 159° 24' E
Latitude Longitude DD -79.83 159.400
Latitude longitude precision DD 0.08 0.008
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 2 air in the shade
0 6 soil surface
5 5
15 4
30 3
40 2
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-22 °C
Frozen ground depth:
45 > cm
Frozen type:
Frozen comment:
>45cm

Geology

Geological setting:
Granodiorite of the Granite Harbour Intrusives outcrops on low hills mainly on ridges in the glacially scoured landscape; lower slopes are largely veneered with till; the basin floor sediments have probably been partly reworked by water and frost action
Patterned ground:
Not present on the basin floor
Surface weathering or surface features:
Rock particles are unstained; salt efflorescences are present around the edge of the basin; the surface is a smooth pebble pavement

Soil

Soil parent material:
Partly reworked granodioritic till
Previous disturbance:
Nil
Soil weathering stage:
6 2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)
Soil moisture status:
Oceanic subxerous; a water table is present in the soils at 42cm; the water is probably derived from thawing of snowpack which covers part of the basin floor
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
HorizonDepthDescription
115a 0 – 10 cm light olive brown (moist 2.5Y 5/4, dry 10YR 6/3 ) pebbly gravelly sand; weakly cohesive; slightly sticky; rock particles subangular, unstained and coated with fines; indistinct boundary,
115b 12 – 22 cm olive brown (moist 2.5Y 4/4, dry 5Y 6/3) sandy pebble gravel; loose; rock particles subangular platy and unstained; indistinct boundary,
115c 27 – 35 cm light yellowish brown (moist 2.5Y 6/4, dry light grey 2.5Y 7/2) sandy pebble gravel; loose; rock particles subangular platy and unstained, watertable present at 42cm.

Sample Data

Physical Data
Sample nameDepth descriptionTop (cm)Base (cm)Bulk DensityDry Bulk DensityGravimetric MoistureVol. Moisture (BD=2)
115a 0-10cm 0.0 10.0
115b 12-22cm 12.0 22.0
115c 27-35cm 27.0 35.0
115d 35-41cm 35.0 41.0
Sample solution chemistry
Sample namepHNa meq/100gCa meq/100gMg meq/100gK meq/100gCl meq/100gSO4 meq/100gNO3 meq/100gEC mmho/cmSoluble SaltNotes
115a 8.2 15.0 3.1 4.0 0.8 11.9 3.2 10.1 . 2.8  
115b 8.2 11.7 1.6 4.3 0.6 9.1 1.8 7.3 . 2.5  
115c 8.7 10.7 1.4 3.2 0.7 8.9 1.5 7.2 . 2.1  
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
115a 59 25.9 19.5 21.5 4.9 5.0 . 0.2 3.6 CaCO3
115b 39 44.7 18.8 16.8 5.9 6.1 . 0.4 2.6 CaCO3
115c 29 33.4 17.5 19.7 7.4 10.0 . 0.4 9.1 CaCO3
Clay Mineralogy
Sample nameMicaIHMHIV - IHMICHLVTHIVCHLSMCHL SMFE - CHLHTQTZFLDHBCALNotes
115a 85.0 . . . . 10.0 . . . 5.0 . . . .
115b 75.0 . . 5.0 . . 20.0 . . . . . . .
115c 70.0 . 10.0 . 5.0 5.0 10.0 . . . . . . .
National Soil Archive Samples
Sample nameNSA Sample IdContainer typeFraction type
115a M22/0823 White lid small coarse
115a M22/0824 White lid small fine
115a M22/6895 Glass vial metal lid
115b M22/0825 White lid small coarse
115b M22/0826 White lid small fine
115b M22/6896 Glass vial metal lid
115c M22/0827 White lid small coarse
115c M22/0828 White lid small fine
115c M22/6897 Glass vial metal lid

Photos

Photo record:
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