The Commonwealth glacier flows in a southeasterly direction and enters the northern side of Taylor Valley immediately west of Mount Coleman. Named by the British Antarctic Expedition for the Commonwealth of Australia in the early 1900s.
Snowpit was excavated in the accumulation zone of the Commonwealth Glacier during the 2000-2001 austral summer. GPS coordinates were not obtained at the time of sample collection. Location is approximated based on the recollection of Thomas Nylen, and provided by Kathy Welch in October 2022.
USGS site 6; coordinates taken from 1996-97 GPS measurements at center of weir
Parent Stream: Crescent Stream
Provenance : GPS96-97.DOC
ID: crescent_f8
Coordinates taken from 1996-97 GPS measurements at center of stream where it enters Lake Fryxell
Parent Stream: Crescent Stream
Provenance : GPS96-97.DOC
ID: crescent_mouth
This study aimed to determine the impact of warming and increased water availability on soil biota and rates of decomposition. It was conducted in Fryxell and Hoare Basins between the austral summers of 1996-1997 and 2004-2005. Cotton strips were inserted into the soil and removed on several occasions to determine rates of decomposition over many years. Soil animals were also extracted and identified.