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 NW slope of the basin on well developed patterned ground surface
Altitude:
200 m
Aspect:
NW
Slope:
5 °
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
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-22
°C
Frozen ground depth:
30 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
30cm
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 has well developed patterned ground
Patterned ground:
Well developed rectangular nets up to 20m across and with 50cm troughs and raised borders in places
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; some calcium carbonate coatings on stone undersides
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
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
117a
0 – 5 cm
very pale brown (10YR 7/4) pebbly gravelly sand; weakly cohesive; weakly developed fine vesicular structure; some particles coated with calcium carbonate; rock particles mainly subrounded and weakly stained; distinct boundary,
117b
5 – 8 cm
pale brown (10YR 6/3) pebbly gravelly sand; lose to weakly cohesive; very weakly developed vesicular structure with particle adhesion by silt coatings; rock particles subrounded to subangular and weakly stained; distinct boundary,
117c
15 – 27 cm
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) pebbly sandy gravel; loose; weakly developed vesicular structure; some ice crystals in patches; rock particles mainly subrounded and weakly stained; sharp boundary, on frozen ground.