134

Site number:

134

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1965/01/18

Reason Sampled:

soil characterisation

Description:

On the floor of Barwick Valley, approximately .5km ESE of Lake Vashka and just below the crest of a small rise; the surface is at the eastern end of the Vida Drift till plain which forms a gently undulating bouldery surface with boulders up to 3m

Altitude:

590 m

Aspect:

Nil

Slope:

0 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central mountains

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-23 °C

Frozen ground depth:

70 cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen over hard ice-cemented

Frozen comment:

70cm

Geology

Geological setting:

The till at this location was mapped by Calkin (1964) as being the eastward extent of Webb Glacier derived Vida Drift; it contains more sandstone than similar till further to the east; the till may be ice-cored

Patterned ground:

15m nets with broad 75cm troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface boulders are extensive, occasionally up to 3m but most less than 45cm; there is minor staining on some surfaces with slight rounding and also exfoliation; stone pavement development is slight but some small hollows have accumulations of sorted pebbles; salts occur beneath some surface stones

Soil

Soil parent material:

Bouldery Vida Drift till derived mainly from dolerite, granite and sandstone

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

2 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous to subxerous; a dry site with no snow patches; rapid ablation of recent thin snowfalls

Biological activity:

Nil observed