(Table 3) Age-related trends of desert pavement properties in the Transantarctic Mountains ...

• Main Author: Bockheim, James G
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2010
• Subjects: Event label; Latitude of event; Longitude of event; Area/locality; Description; Epoch; Crystal size; Boulder; Cobble; Pebble; Desert pavement, density; Ventifacts; Ratio; Varnish; Macropitting; Index; Layer thickness; Parameter; Depth, relative; Sampling by hand; International Polar Year 2007-2008 IPY; Antarc*; Antarctica; International Polar Year; IPY
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.807589; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.807589

Compared to mid-latitude deserts, the properties, formation and evolution of desert pavements and the underlying vesicular layer in Antarctica are poorly understood. This study examines the desert pavements and the vesicular layer from seven soil chronosequences in the Transantarctic Mountains that have developed on two contrasting parent materials: sandstone-dolerite and granite-gneiss. The pavement density commonly ranges from 63 to 92% with a median value of 80% and does not vary significantly with time of exposure or parent material composition. The dominant size range of clasts decreases with time of exposure, ranging from 16-64 mm on Holocene and late Quaternary surfaces to 8-16 mm on surfaces of middle Quaternary and older age. The proportion of clasts with ventifaction increases progressively through time from 20% on drifts of Holocene and late Quaternary age to 35% on Miocene-aged drifts. Desert varnish forms rapidly, especially on dolerite clasts, with nearly 100% cover on surfaces of early ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...