THE UNIVERSITY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WISCONSIN

PERMAFROST/GROUND PERMAFROST/GROUND ICE/SOILS DATABASEICE/SOILS DATABASE

J.G. BockheimJ.G. Bockheim

Areas:Areas:

McMurdo Dry ValleysMcMurdo Dry Valleys Transantarctic MountainsTransantarctic Mountains

– Darwin Glacier areaDarwin Glacier area– Beardmore Glacier areaBeardmore Glacier area

North Victoria LandNorth Victoria Land Ellsworth MountainsEllsworth Mountains

Antarctic Soils Database:Antarctic Soils Database: 473 sites throughout McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV)473 sites throughout McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) Surface boulder lithology, frequency, and Surface boulder lithology, frequency, and

weathering featuresweathering features Detailed soil descriptionsDetailed soil descriptions Observations of patterned ground, permafrost, and Observations of patterned ground, permafrost, and

ground-ice formsground-ice forms Laboratory characterization of 46% of soilsLaboratory characterization of 46% of soils Classification of soils in SOIL TAXONOMY, WRBClassification of soils in SOIL TAXONOMY, WRB

Unique Features of Antarctic Soils Unique Features of Antarctic Soils Database:Database:

Product of pedologist-glacial Product of pedologist-glacial geologist/geomorphologist with goal to geologist/geomorphologist with goal to reconstruct glacial history of MDVreconstruct glacial history of MDV

Description and sampling protocol Description and sampling protocol unchanged over 12-yr period (1975-1987)unchanged over 12-yr period (1975-1987)

Rigorous protocol for site/soil descriptions Rigorous protocol for site/soil descriptions and laboratory characterizationand laboratory characterization

Soil pits dug by hand to at least 1 mSoil pits dug by hand to at least 1 m Standard soil horizon nomenclature applied Standard soil horizon nomenclature applied

with some adaptationswith some adaptations Soils classified into ST, WRBSoils classified into ST, WRB

Approach:Approach:1975-19871975-1987– Select site according to “master relative chronology”Select site according to “master relative chronology”– Locate on aerial photograph, topographic map (1:50,000)Locate on aerial photograph, topographic map (1:50,000)– Determine corrected elevationDetermine corrected elevation– Randomly locate plot on moraine crestRandomly locate plot on moraine crest– Measure surface boulder weathering featuresMeasure surface boulder weathering features– Describe and sample modal soil profileDescribe and sample modal soil profile– Restore siteRestore site– Characterize soils in laboratoryCharacterize soils in laboratory1999-20001999-2000– Electronic storage of dataElectronic storage of data– GIS (ArcInfo)GIS (ArcInfo)2000-present2000-present---- Utilize data for constructing permafrost/ground ice and Utilize data for constructing permafrost/ground ice and

soil mapssoil maps

Measuring Surface Boulder Weathering Features in the MDV

Excavating Soil in Upper Arena Valley

Describing and SamplingSoil in Wright Valley

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).

http://bonney.sr.unh.eduhttp://bonney.sr.unh.edu

Ecoclimatic Ecoclimatic

regionregion

Number Number ofof

sitessites% of total% of total

Coastal (C)Coastal (C) 2121 4.44.4

Inland valley Inland valley floor (IVF)floor (IVF)

109109 2323

Inland valley side Inland valley side IVS)IVS)

196196 4141

Upland valley Upland valley (UV)(UV)

136136 2929

Polar fringe (PF)Polar fringe (PF) 1111 2.32.3

TotalTotal 473473 100100

Distribution of Sites by Ecoclimatic Region

Location of Sampling Sites

Permafrost Form in the MDV

FormForm NumberNumber % of % of totaltotal

AgeAge

Ky BPKy BP

EcoclimaticEcoclimatic

regionregion

DryDry 327327 6969 >200>200 IVF, IVSIVF, IVS

Ice-Ice-cementedcemented

146146 3131 <200<200 C, IVS, UV, C, IVS, UV, PFPF

Permafrost form in the MDV (upper 1 m)

Ground iceGround ice NumberNumber % of total% of total

Ecoclimatic Ecoclimatic regionregion

Ice-wedge Ice-wedge

polygonspolygons

6161 1313

C, IVFC, IVF

Ice-coredIce-cored

driftdrift

1414 33

IVS, IVF, CIVS, IVF, C

Rock Rock glaciersglaciers

1616 33

UV, IVSUV, IVS

Ground ice the MDV

Ice-Cored Drift

Rock Glacier

Differentiating Sand-Wedge and Ice-Wedge Polygons

Ground-Ice Features in the MDV

Sand-Wedge Cast

Ice-Wedge Cast

0

20

40

60

80

100

>87

>100

>87

73

>100 >100

>90

Current position of ice-cemented permafrost

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Recession of ice-cementedPermafrost in the MDV

Sand-wedge casts

Weathering Weathering stagestage

BoulderBoulder

conditioncondition

SoilSoil

colorscolors

SoilSoil

Horizon-Horizon-ationation

SaltSalt

stagestage

Permafrost Permafrost

depthdepth

11 FreshFresh

angularangular

5Y5Y minimalminimal 00 shallowshallow

22 Light staining, Light staining, some disint.some disint.

10YR 6/3-10YR 6/3-2.5Y 6/22.5Y 6/2

weakweak 1 or 21 or 2 shallowshallow

33 Polish, Polish, stainedstained

10YR 5/3-10YR 5/3-2.5Y 6/42.5Y 6/4

distinctdistinct

33

Mod.Mod.

deepdeep

44 Ventif., strong Ventif., strong cavern.cavern.

10YR 5/410YR 5/4 VeryVery

distinctdistinct

44 deepdeep

55 Few Few boulders, boulders,

strong strong pavementpavement

1-YR 4/4-1-YR 4/4-5YR 5/85YR 5/8

Very Very

distinctdistinct

55 deepdeep

66 Residual Residual pavementpavement

7.5YR 5/6-7.5YR 5/6-5YR 4/85YR 4/8

VeryVery

distinctdistinct

66 Shallow-Shallow-

deepdeep

Weathering Stages of Antarctic Landforms/Soils

McMurdo McMurdo SoundSound

Taylor Taylor ValleyValley

Arena ValleyArena Valley Wright ValleyWright Valley Alpine Alpine glaciersglaciers

Numerical Numerical ageage

Weath. stageWeath. stage

Taylor I driftTaylor I drift Alpine I driftAlpine I drift 3.7 Ka3.7 Ka 11

Ross Sea Ross Sea drift (Ross I)drift (Ross I)

Wright Lower Wright Lower driftdrift

10-24 Ka10-24 Ka 11

Taylor II Taylor II drift drift (Bonney)(Bonney)

Taylor II drift Taylor II drift (Bonney)(Bonney)

Alpine IIa driftAlpine IIa drift 75-98 Ka75-98 Ka 22

Marshall drift Marshall drift (Ross II)(Ross II)

Onyx driftOnyx drift 130-190 Ka130-190 Ka 22

Taylor III Taylor III driftdrift

Taylor III driftTaylor III drift Alpine IIb driftAlpine IIb drift 200-210 Ka200-210 Ka 33

(Ross III)(Ross III) Loop moraineLoop moraine 450 Ka?450 Ka? 33

(Ross IV)(Ross IV) Wright driftWright drift ?? 44

Taylor IVaTaylor IVa Taylor IVaTaylor IVa Alpine III (IIIa)Alpine III (IIIa) 1.0-1.6 Ma1.0-1.6 Ma 44

Taylor IVbTaylor IVb Taylor IVbTaylor IVb Alpine IV (IIIb)Alpine IV (IIIb) 2.7->3.7 Ma2.7->3.7 Ma 55

Quartermain Quartermain driftdrift

Peleus driftPeleus drift 3->3.8 Ma3->3.8 Ma 66

Sirius driftsSirius drifts Sirius driftsSirius drifts 5.3-10 Ma5.3-10 Ma 66

Glacial Chronology of the MDV

Distribution of Landforms/Soils by Weathering Stage, MDV

Salt Salt stagestage

Morphogenetic formMorphogenetic form EC (dS/m)EC (dS/m) Approx. ageApprox. age

00 NoneNone <0.6<0.6 <10 ka<10 ka

11 Coatings beneath Coatings beneath stonesstones

0.6-5.00.6-5.0 10-18 ka10-18 ka

22 <20% of horizon with <20% of horizon with flecks 1-2 mmflecks 1-2 mm

5.0-185.0-18 18-90 ka18-90 ka

33 >20% of horizon with >20% of horizon with flecks 1-2 mmflecks 1-2 mm

18-2518-25 90-250 ka90-250 ka

44 Weakly cemented salt Weakly cemented salt panpan

25-4025-40 250 ka - ~1.7 250 ka - ~1.7 MaMa

55 Strongly cemented salt Strongly cemented salt panpan

40-6040-60 ~1.7 – 2.5 Ma~1.7 – 2.5 Ma

66 Indurated salt panIndurated salt pan 60-100+60-100+ ~>2.5 Ma~>2.5 Ma

Morphogenetic Salt Stages in Antarctic Soils

Morphogenetic Salt Stage for Soils in the MDV

Example of Soil With Stage 5 Salts

Location of Soils With Salt Pans in the MDV

Chemistry of Salts in Antarctic Gelisols

Antarctic Soil Showing Intense Cryoturbation (Anhyturbel)

Ecoclimatic Ecoclimatic zonezone

Salic Salic AnhyorthelsAnhyorthels

Typic Typic AnhyorthelsAnhyorthels

Other Other AnhyorthelsAnhyorthels

Typic Typic AnhyturbelsAnhyturbels

Other Other AnhyturbelsAnhyturbels TotalTotal

CoastalCoastal 00 33 00 1818 00 2121

Inland Inland valley floorvalley floor

99 4646 1212 3030 1111 108108

Inland Inland valley sidevalley side

2020 134134 1313 2020 99 196196

Upland Upland valleyvalley

11 6969 1919 3737 99 135135

Plateau Plateau fringefringe

00 66 11 22 00 1111

TotalTotal 3030 258258 4545 107107 3131 471471

Classification of Soils in the MDV

Conclusions:Conclusions:

Dry permafrost pervasive in IVF and on older Dry permafrost pervasive in IVF and on older surfaces in IVS and UVsurfaces in IVS and UV

Ground-ice features are common in the MDVGround-ice features are common in the MDV Sand-wedge casts offer promise in reconstructing Sand-wedge casts offer promise in reconstructing

paleoclimatepaleoclimate Soil development rates: IVF > IVS, UV > PF > CSoil development rates: IVF > IVS, UV > PF > C 70% of soils of MDV are Anhyorthels reflecting 70% of soils of MDV are Anhyorthels reflecting

lack of cryoturbation because of low soil moisturelack of cryoturbation because of low soil moisture