Assessment of the rate of contaminant movement through Antarctic soils using a lithium chloride experiment at Lake Vanda

A leaching trial was set up at Lake Vanda to determine how rapidly and how far water-soluble materials spilt on the soil surface will move. A series of 1 x 1 m plots and control sites on the north shore of Lake Vanda opposite the station had LiCl added to the soil. The sites were sampled from the application plot four days after establishment to determine the initial condition and was re-sampled again at the application plot and at 1 m intervals down slope in the following two seasons (94-95 and 95-96) to determine the initial distribution of salt and moisture in the soils and the extent of movement away from the application plot. Soil temperature measurements to a depth of 55 cm were collected to provide a detailed record of annual soil temperature changes. Soil samples were weighed and oven dried at Scott Base and the gravimetric water content of the soils was calculated. The soils were also sieved to determine the < 2 mm size fraction.