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THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PERMAFROST/GROUND ICE/SOILS DATABASE J.G. Bockheim

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PERMAFROST/GROUND ICE/SOILS DATABASE J.G. Bockheim. Areas:. McMurdo Dry Valleys Transantarctic Mountains Darwin Glacier area Beardmore Glacier area North Victoria Land Ellsworth Mountains. Antarctic Soils Database:.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PERMAFROST/GROUND ICE/SOILS DATABASE J.G. Bockheim

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  1. THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PERMAFROST/GROUND ICE/SOILS DATABASEJ.G. Bockheim

  2. Areas: • McMurdo Dry Valleys • Transantarctic Mountains • Darwin Glacier area • Beardmore Glacier area • North Victoria Land • Ellsworth Mountains

  3. Antarctic Soils Database: • 473 sites throughout McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) • Surface boulder lithology, frequency, and weathering features • Detailed soil descriptions • Observations of patterned ground, permafrost, and ground-ice forms • Laboratory characterization of 46% of soils • Classification of soils in SOIL TAXONOMY, WRB

  4. Unique Features of Antarctic Soils Database: • Product of pedologist-glacial geologist/geomorphologist with goal to reconstruct glacial history of MDV • Description and sampling protocol unchanged over 12-yr period (1975-1987) • Rigorous protocol for site/soil descriptions and laboratory characterization • Soil pits dug by hand to at least 1 m • Standard soil horizon nomenclature applied with some adaptations • Soils classified into ST, WRB

  5. Approach: 1975-1987 • Select site according to “master relative chronology” • Locate on aerial photograph, topographic map (1:50,000) • Determine corrected elevation • Randomly locate plot on moraine crest • Measure surface boulder weathering features • Describe and sample modal soil profile • Restore site • Characterize soils in laboratory 1999-2000 • Electronic storage of data • GIS (ArcInfo) 2000-present -- Utilize data for constructing permafrost/ground ice and soil maps

  6. Measuring Surface Boulder Weathering Features in the MDV

  7. Excavating Soil in Upper Arena Valley

  8. Describing and Sampling Soil in Wright Valley

  9. http://bonney.sr.unh.edu A GIS For The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica TheVALMAP (Valleys in Antarctica: Layered Mapping, Analysis, and Planning) Project has produced a Geographic Information System for the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, referred to as the MDV GIS. The MDV GIS contains, in a single projection, layers of mapped information, such as images, topographic contours, and geology, to which data are attached according to the "coverage geographic data model" of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).

  10. Distribution of Sites by Ecoclimatic Region

  11. Location of Sampling Sites

  12. Permafrost Form in the MDV

  13. Permafrost form in the MDV (upper 1 m)

  14. Ground ice the MDV

  15. Ice-Cored Drift

  16. Rock Glacier

  17. Differentiating Sand-Wedge and Ice-Wedge Polygons

  18. Ground-Ice Features in the MDV

  19. Sand-Wedge Cast

  20. Ice-Wedge Cast

  21. Sand-wedge casts Recession of ice-cemented Permafrost in the MDV

  22. Weathering Stages of Antarctic Landforms/Soils

  23. Glacial Chronology of the MDV

  24. Distribution of Landforms/Soils by Weathering Stage, MDV

  25. Morphogenetic Salt Stages in Antarctic Soils

  26. Morphogenetic Salt Stage for Soils in the MDV

  27. Example of Soil With Stage 5 Salts

  28. Location of Soils With Salt Pans in the MDV

  29. Chemistry of Salts in Antarctic Gelisols

  30. Antarctic Soil Showing Intense Cryoturbation (Anhyturbel)

  31. Classification of Soils in the MDV

  32. Conclusions: • Dry permafrost pervasive in IVF and on older surfaces in IVS and UV • Ground-ice features are common in the MDV • Sand-wedge casts offer promise in reconstructing paleoclimate • Soil development rates: IVF > IVS, UV > PF > C • 70% of soils of MDV are Anhyorthels reflecting lack of cryoturbation because of low soil moisture

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