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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Measuring Surface Boulder Weathering Features in the MDV

8. Excavating Soil in Upper Arena Valley

9. Describing and Sampling Soil in Wright Valley

10. 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.edu

11. Ecoclimaticregion Number of sites % of total Coastal (C) 214.4 Inland valley floor (IVF) 10923 Inland valley side IVS) 19641 Upland valley (UV) 13629 Polar fringe (PF) 112.3 Total473100 Distribution of Sites by Ecoclimatic Region

12. Location of Sampling Sites

13. Permafrost Form in the MDV

14. FormNumber % of total Age Ky BP EcoclimaticregionDry32769>200 IVF, IVS Ice- cemented 14631<200 C, IVS, UV, PF Permafrost form in the MDV (upper 1 m)

15. Ground ice Number % of total Ecoclimatic region Ice-wedgepolygons6113 C, IVF Ice-coreddrift143 IVS, IVF, C Rock glaciers 163 UV, IVS Ground ice the MDV

16. Ice-Cored Drift

17. Rock Glacier

18. Differentiating Sand-Wedge and Ice-Wedge Polygons

19. Ground-Ice Features in the MDV

20. Sand-Wedge Cast

21. Ice-Wedge Cast

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

23. Weathering stage BoulderconditionSoilcolorsSoil Horizon- ation SaltstagePermafrostdepth 1Freshangular5Yminimal0shallow 2 Light staining, some disint. 10YR 6/3- 2.5Y 6/2 weak 1 or 2 shallow 3 Polish, stained 10YR 5/3- 2.5Y 6/4 distinct3Mod.deep 4 Ventif., strong cavern. 10YR 5/4 Verydistinct4deep 5 Few boulders, strong pavement 1-YR 4/4- 5YR 5/8 Verydistinct5deep 6 Residual pavement 7.5YR 5/6- 5YR 4/8 Verydistinct6Shallow-deep Weathering Stages of Antarctic Landforms/Soils

24. McMurdo Sound Taylor Valley Arena Valley Wright Valley Alpine glaciers Numerical age Weath. stage Taylor I drift Alpine I drift 3.7 Ka 1 Ross Sea drift (Ross I) Wright Lower drift 10-24 Ka 1 Taylor II drift (Bonney) Alpine IIa drift 75-98 Ka 2 Marshall drift (Ross II) Onyx drift 130-190 Ka 2 Taylor III drift Alpine IIb drift 200-210 Ka 3 (Ross III) Loop moraine 450 Ka? 3 (Ross IV) Wright drift ?4 Taylor IVa Alpine III (IIIa) 1.0-1.6 Ma 4 Taylor IVb Alpine IV (IIIb) 2.7->3.7 Ma 5 Quartermain drift Peleus drift 3->3.8 Ma 6 Sirius drifts 5.3-10 Ma 6 Glacial Chronology of the MDV

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

26. Salt stage Morphogenetic form EC (dS/m) Approx. age 0None<0.6 <10 ka 1 Coatings beneath stones 0.6-5.0 10-18 ka 2 <20% of horizon with flecks 1-2 mm 5.0-18 18-90 ka 3 >20% of horizon with flecks 1-2 mm 18-25 90-250 ka 4 Weakly cemented salt pan 25-40 250 ka - ~1.7 Ma 5 Strongly cemented salt pan 40-60 ~1.7 – 2.5 Ma 6 Indurated salt pan 60-100+ ~>2.5 Ma Morphogenetic Salt Stages in Antarctic Soils

27. Morphogenetic Salt Stage for Soils in the MDV

28. Example of Soil With Stage 5 Salts

29. Location of Soils With Salt Pans in the MDV

30. Chemistry of Salts in Antarctic Gelisols

31. Antarctic Soil Showing Intense Cryoturbation (Anhyturbel)

32. Ecoclimatic zone Salic Anhyorthels Typic Anhyorthels Other Anhyorthels Typic Anhyturbels Other Anhyturbels Total Coastal03018021 Inland valley floor 946123011108 Inland valley side 2013413209196 Upland valley 16919379135 Plateau fringe 0612011 Total302584510731471 Classification of Soils in the MDV

33. 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