New Zealand soil and

permafrost research

Dr Megan Balks,

Earth Sciences, University of Waikato,

N.Z.

McCraw and Claridge• First New Zealand soils work in Ross Sea Region

1959-60

• Visited a number of areas – exploratory/descriptive work

• Soil Map of Taylor Valley (first presented to soils congress, Madison, 1960)

Campbell and Claridge• Commenced 1964/65

• Studied soils throughout the RSR

• Established weathering stage concept

• Shifted focus to human impacts on soils and permafrost in 1990s

• Published book in 1987 & over 70 papers, basis of NZ Ant soil database.

Recent/current work• Paul Augustinus – GPR (high res. 3-D) to determine permafrost and

stratigraphy on raised beaches (80 transects). Jan ’05 on delta at New Harbour. (Post glacial uplift, mechanisms of polygon development).

• Warren Dickenson – Past – Sirius Formation – geochem of waters and diagenic minerals. 3 yrs of Temp data from deep bore-hole at Table Mountain. ‘Jan 05 – resistivity to image ice bodies + drilling old ice and permafrost – Victoria and Beacon Valleys (with Ron Sletten).

• K123 (Aislabie, Balks, Paetzold, McLeod et al) – impacts of human activities on soils. Soil and permafrost mapping – LGP sites, Wright Valley. Nov. ’05 proposed boreholes with Mauro at Marble Point and Bull Pass., active layer monitoring

Latitudinal Gradient Programme• AntarcticaNZ supported • Interdisciplinary, international, collaboration • goals of:

– a. Understanding the complex ecosystems that exist along the Victoria Land coast; and

– b. Determining the effects of environmental change on these ecosystems.

• Expressions of interest currently invited for Darwin Glacier area.• www.lgp.aq