116

Site number:

116

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 upper SE slope of the basin on a surface without patterned ground

Altitude:

200 m

Aspect:

SE

Slope:

17 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Coastal mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-22 °C

Frozen ground depth:

54 cm

Frozen type:

Hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

54cm

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 which thins on upper slopes where granodiorite outcrops

Patterned ground:

Not developed

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface boulders 30-90cm across and subangular to subrounded with weak staining on upper surfaces but unstained on undersides; few white salt encrustations on undersides of some surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Granodioritic till

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Oceanic subxerous; the site is dry; light snow was falling at the time of description but was evaporating quickly

Biological activity:

Some black and yellowish lichen on rocks