on the lower slopes of Barwick Valley, approximately 6.5km E of lake Vashka; a low angle fan surface formed below a shallow gully cut in the north side of the Barwick Valley; the site is on the lower toe slope of the fan surface where the soil profiles appear to show weakest development
Altitude:
575 m
Aspect:
S
Slope:
3 °
Location Data
Observer
IBC
GPS
No
Latitude Longitude DMS
77° 21.0' S 161° 35.2' E
Latitude Longitude DD
-77.350 161.5870
Latitude longitude precision DD
0.008 0.0008
Locality
Victoria Land, Trans-antarctic Mountains; in Upper Victoria Valley, part of the McMurdo Sound Dry Valley system
Survey
USGS 1:250 000 1986; Ross Island and Vicinity, Antarctica
Climate
Soil climate zone:
Central mountain
Estimated mean annual temperature:
-23
°C
Frozen ground depth:
45 cm
Frozen type:
Hard ice-cemented
Frozen comment:
45
Geology
Geological setting:
Small fans have formed as a result of rapid thaw of valley side snow or ice accumulations in nevees which, for a short period, provide a source of water to transport sediment
Patterned ground:
Weakly developed, non active nets
Surface weathering or surface features:
Moderately developed pavement surface but with little wind polish or ventifact formation; some slight staining and some thin coatings of calcium carbonate
Soil
Soil parent material:
Colluvial sands and fine gravels of mixed lithology
Xerous to subxerous; the site is dry with little available moisture
Biological activity:
Nil observed
Profile Description
Horizon
Depth
Description
145a
0 – 3 cm
pale brown (10YR 6/3) granular pebbly sand; loose to weakly cohesive; weakly developed vesicular structure; rock particles mainly subrounded and weakly stained,
145b
5 – 15 cm
dark greyish brown (10YR 4/1) layered pebbly granular sand; loose; rock particles rounded to subrounded and weakly to moderately stained; indistinct boundary,
145c
35 – 45 cm
greyish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sand; loose; rock particles rounded to subrounded and weakly to moderately stained; sharp boundary, on frozen ground