Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-dk7s8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-30T19:19:23.963Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Soils of western Wright Valley, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2009

Malcolm McLeod ,
James Bockheim ,
Megan Balks  and
Jackie Aislabie
Malcolm McLeod*
Affiliation:
Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton, New Zealand
James Bockheim
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706-1299, USA
Megan Balks
Affiliation:
Earth Sciences Department, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand
Jackie Aislabie
Affiliation:
Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton, New Zealand
*
*mcleodm@landcareresearch.co.nz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Western Wright Valley, from Wright Upper Glacier to the western end of the Dais, can be divided into three broad geomorphic regions: the elevated Labyrinth, the narrow Dais which is connected to the Labyrinth, and the North and South forks which are bifurcated by the Dais. Soil associations of Typic Haplorthels/Haploturbels with ice-cemented permafrost at < 70cm are most common in each of these geomorphic regions. Amongst the Haplo Great Groups are patches of Salic and Typic Anhyorthels with ice-cemented permafrost at > 70 cm. They are developed in situ in strongly weathered drift with very low surface boulder frequency and occur on the upper erosion surface of the Labyrinth and on the Dais. Typic Anhyorthels also occur at lower elevation on sinuous and patchy Wright Upper III drift within the forks. Salic Aquorthels exist only in the South Fork marginal to Don Juan Pond, whereas Salic Haplorthels occur in low areas of both South and North forks where any water table is> 50 cm. Most soils within the study area have an alkaline pH dominated by Na+ and Cl- ions. The low salt accumulation within Haplorthels/Haploturbels may be due to limited depth of soil development and possibly leaching.

Keywords

DaisGelisolsLabyrinthsoil chemical propertiessoil map

Information

Type
Earth Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , August 2009 , pp. 355 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bockheim, J.G. 1979. Relative age and origin of soils in eastern Wright Valley, Antarctica. Soil Science, 128, 142–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. 1990. Soil development rates in the Transantarctic Mountains. Geoderma, 47, 59–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. 2007. Soil processes and development rates in the Quartermain Mountains, upper Taylor Glacier region, Antarctica. Geografiska Annaler, 89A, 153–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. Ackert, R.A. Jr 2007. Implications of soils on mid-Miocene-aged drifts in the Transantarctic Mountains for ice sheet history and paleoclimate reconstruction. Geomorphology, 92, 12–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. Mcleod, M. 2008. Early Pliocene expansion of the East Antarctic ice sheet, upper Wright valley, Antarctica. Geografiska Annaler, 90A, 187–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bockheim, J.G. Wilson, S.C. 1989. Late Quaternary ice-surface fluctuations of Hatherton Glacier, Transantarctic Mountains. Quaternary Research, 31, 229–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bockheim, J.G., Wilson, S.C. Leide, J.W. 1990. Soil development in the Beardmore Glacier region, Antarctica. Soil Science, 149, 144–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bromley, A.M. 1985. Weather observations Wright Valley, Antarctica. Wellington: New Zealand Meteorological Service, Information Publication, No. 11, 37 pp.Google Scholar
Buntley, G.J. Westin, F.C. 1965. A comparative study of developmental color in a chestnut-chernozem soil climosequence. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, 29, 579–582.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calkin, P.E., Behling, R.E. Bull, C. 1970. Glacial history of Wright Valley, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 5, 22–27.Google Scholar
Calkin, P.E. Bull, C. 1972. Interaction of the East Antarctic ice sheet, alpine glaciations and sea level in the Wright Valley area, Southern Victoria Land. In Adie R.J., ed. Antarctic geology and geophysics. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 435–440.Google Scholar
Campbell, I.B. Claridge, G.G.C. 1975. Morphology and age relationships of Antarctic soils. Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin, 13, 83–88.Google Scholar
Cannone, N., Wagner, D., Hubberton, H.W. Guglielmin, M. 2008. Biotic and abiotic factors influencing soil properties across a latitudinal gradient in Victoria Land, Antarctica. Geoderma, 14, 50–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cotton, C.A. 1966. Antarctic scablands. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 9, 130–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denton, G.H., Sugden, D.E., Marchant, D.R., Hall, B.L. Wilch, T.I. 1993. East Antarctic Ice Sheet sensitivity to Pliocene climatic change from a Dry Valleys perspective. Geografiska Annaler, 75A, 155–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, B.L., Denton, G.H., Lux, D.R. Bockheim, J.G. 1993. Late Tertiary Antarctic paleoclimate and ice-sheet dynamics inferred from surficial deposits in Wright Valley. Geografiska Annaler, 75A, 239–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, B.L., Denton, G.H., Lux, D.R. Schluchter, C. 1997. Pliocene paleoenvironment and Antarctic ice sheet behaviour: evidence from Wright Valley. Journal of Geology, 105, 285–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hopkins, D.E.W., Sparrow, A.D., Gregorich, E.G., Novis, P., Elberling, E. Greenfield, L.G. 2008. Redistributed lacustrine detritus as a spatial subsidy of biological resources for soils in an Antarctic dry valley. Geoderma, 144, 86–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Isaac, M.J., Chinn, T.J., Edbrooke, S.W. Forsyth, P.J. 1996. Geology of the Olympus Range area, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, Geological map 20, 1 sheet + 60 pp.Google Scholar
Keys, J.R. 1980. Air temperature, wind, precipitation and atmospheric humidity in the McMurdo region. Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Data Series, No. 9, 57 pp.Google Scholar
Levy, J., Head, J.W. Marchant, D.R. 2008. Gully-polygon interactions and stratrigraphy on Earth and Mars: comparison of cold-dessert, near-surface, fluvial, and periglacial processes. In Kane, D.L. & Hinkel, K.M., eds. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost. Fairbanks: Institute of Northern Engineering: University of Alaska, 1, 1043–1048.Google Scholar
Lewis, A.R., Marchant, D.R., Kowalewski, D.E., Baldwin, S.L. Webb, L.E. 2006. The age and origin of the Labyrinth, western Dry Valleys, Antarctica: evidence for extensive middle Miocene subglacial floods and freshwater discharge to the Southern Ocean. Geology, 34, 513–516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marchant, D.R. Denton, G.H. 1996. Miocene and Pliocene paleoclimate of the Dry Valley region, southern Victoria Land: a geomorphological approach. Marine Micropaleontology, 27, 253–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marchant, D.R., Denton, G.H., Sugden, D.E. Swisher, C.C. III 1993. Miocene glacial stratigraphy and landscape evolution of the western Asgard Range, Antarctica. Geografiska Annaler, 75A, 303–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLeod, M., Bockheim, J.G. Balks, M.R. 2008. Glacial geomorphology, soil development and permafrost features in central-upper Wright Valley, Antarctica. Geoderma, 144, 93–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakaya, S., Torii, T., Yamagata, N. Murata, S. 1984. Hydrogeochemical study of Don Juan Pond in the Dry Valleys area, South Victoria Land, Antarctica. Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research Special issue, 33, 237–240.Google Scholar
Prentice, M.L., Bockheim, J.G., Wilson, S.C., Burckle, L.H., Hodell, D.A., SchlŰchter, C. Kellogg, D.E. 1993. Late Neogene Antarctic glacial history: evidence from central Wright Valley. Antarctic Research Series, 60, 207–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Selby, M.J. Wilson, A.T. 1971. The origin of the Labyrinth, Wright Valley, Antarctica. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 82, 471–476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaw, J. Healy, T.R. 1977. The formation of the Labyrinth, Wright Valley, Antarctica. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 20, 933–947.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, H.T.U. 1965. Anomalous erosional topography in Victoria Land. Antarctic Science, 148, 941–942.Google ScholarPubMed
Thompson, D.C., Craig, R.M.F. Bromley, A.M. 1971a. Climate and surface heat balance in an Antarctic dry valley. New Zealand Journal of Science, 14, 245–251.Google Scholar
Thompson, D.C., Bromley, A.M. Craig, R.M.F. 1971b. Ground temperatures in an Antarctic dry valley. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 14, 477–483.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torii, T. Ossaka, J. 1965. Antarcticite; a new mineral, calcium chloride hexahydrate, discovered in Antarctica. Science, 149, 975–977.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yoshida, Y., Torii, T., Yusa, Y., Nakaya, S. Moriwaki, K. 1975. A limnological study of some lakes in the Antarctic. Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin, 13, 311–320.Google Scholar
Waterhouse, E.J. 2001. A state of the environment report for the Ross sea region of Antarctica. Christchurch: New Zealand Antarctic Institute.Google Scholar