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You are in:  Home » Publications » Bulletins » Bulletin 155 » ASMA 2

Bulletin No 155, October 2004

Twenty-seventh Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
Cape Town, South Africa, 24 May – 4 June 2004

• SCAR Bulletin 155
• ASMA No 2
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C
• Appendix D
• Appendix E

Appendix E:

Guidelines for Special Features

The following guidelines apply to the Special Features listed in this Appendix.

• Minimize sampling and research activities at or around Special Features.
• All sampling, including type and quantity, should be recorded in group field reports and provided to the appropriate national programme.
• Helicopters should land at least 50m away from each Special Feature.

Special Features, including a geographic location, description, and special guidelines:

1. Prospect Mesa (77.5237°S, 161.8896°E)
Prospect Mesa contains unique marine deposits.

• Avoid walking on top of the mesa unless conducting research activities.

2. Argo Gully (77.5197°S, 161.6901°E)
This stream section across from Vanda Station is a unique middle-Miocene marine deposit.

• Avoid walking along the surface edge above the Gully.

3. Boulder Pavement (77.5227°S, 161.7466°E)
Boulder Pavement is on the Onyx River and contains the most extensive area of microbial mat in the Wright Valley and serves as a biofilter for Lake Vanda.

• Avoid crossing the Boulder Pavement unless necessary for sampling purposes.
• While sampling, walk only on the rocks and avoid trampling the microbial mats.

4. Battleship Promontory (76.8996°S, 161.0055°E)
A sandstone promontory containing rich cryptoendolithic communities.

• Avoid damage to these ancient communities and rocks.

5. Don Juan Pond (77.5630°S, 161.1896°E)
A hypersaline ecosystem containing unique salt deposits.

• Avoid walking through the lake and adjacent salt deposits.
• Do not disturb salt deposits to avoid further deterioration.

6. Trough Lake Catchment (78.2736°S, 163.4652°E)
A pristine example of a complete hydrological unit (streams, ponds, lakes).

• Minimize visits to this catchment that has not been highly visited and is therefore useful as a reference site with its relatively pristine landscape.

7. Sand Dune Field (77.3715°S, 162.2205°E), (in Lower Victoria Valley)
The largest sand dune feature in the Area.

• Avoid walking on the dunes.

8. Explorers Cove (77.5770°S, 163.5169°E)
A tidally inundated sand flat characterized by tide pools containing unique benthic mats of diatoms and cynobacteria.

• Avoid walking in areas of scientific sampling and in tide pools after they thaw in mid-November.

9. Mount Feather Sirius Deposit (77.9320°S, 161.4367°E)
An important location of Sirius deposits.