Observations on the ice-marginal, periglacial geomorphology of Terra Nova Bay, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

The ice-free areas of the Northern Foothills, Antarctica, represent an ice- marginal, high-latitude periglacial environment. In addition to extreme col d and aridity, they are characterized by exceptionally strong winds. The ef fectiveness of traditional freeze-thaw and mass-wasting (solifluction) proc esses are limited because of the lack of moisture and the shallow active la yer. Mass wasting mainly occurs through in situ rock disintegration and ass ociated gravity processes. Bare rectilinear bedrock slopes are the result a nd reflect a balance between debris production and debris removal. The most active landscape-modifying processes appear to be (1) wind erosion and (2) taffoni and honeycomb weathering. Ventifacts are used to suggest a very te ntative rate of wind abrasion of approximately 0.10-0.30 cm per 1000 years. Rates of taffoni and honeycomb weathering appear to be an order of magnitu de greater, estimated to be between 2-3 and 8-10 cm per 1000 years. Copyrig ht (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.