Description
The Onyx River, in Wright Valley, is a seasonal stream of meltwater which flows for some 40 km from coastal piedmont glaciers inland into Lake Vanda. The stream bed is mainly braided in fine alluvial gravels, with some stretches of coarser moraine materials. A number of tributary feeders flow from the alpine glaciers of the ranges bordering the valley. Seasonal flows have been regularly monitored from two portions of the river. The Lower Wright site, close to the headwaters of the river, is about 2 km downstream from the shallow Lake Brownworth at the terminus of the Lower Wright Glacier. It is upstream from the confluence with the tributary streams and hence records only the flow contribution from the Lower Wright Glacier. The Vanda Weir is about 500 m upstream from the mouth of the river at Lake Vanda and also contains water from the Clark, Meserve and Bartley glacier streams. Stream length: 40 km.
Environmental data
Hydrological, biological, chemical, and physical property measurements have been made for a number of McMurdo Dry Valley streams and lakes.
See: LTER Data
Diatom taxa found in
Onyx River
- Achnanthes taylorensis
- Amphora cf. oligotraphenta
- Chamaepinnularia deltaica
- Chamaepinnularia quaternaria
- Craticula molestiformis
- Fistulifera pelliculosa
- Hantzschia abundans
- Hantzschia amphioxys
- Hantzschia amphioxys f. muelleri
- Hantzschia hyperaustralis
- Humidophila arcuata
- Humidophila arcuata var. parallela
- Humidophila australis
- Luticola austroatlantica
- Luticola dolia
- Luticola gaussii
- Luticola laeta
- Luticola mcknightiae
- Luticola mutica
- Luticola muticopsis
- Luticola permuticopsis
- Marine diatom fragments
- Mayamaea atomus
- Mayamaea atomus fo. permitis
- Mayamaea atomus var. #1
- Microcostatus naumannii
- Muelleria meridionalis
- Muelleria peraustralis
- Navicula gregaria
- Navicula seibigiana
- Navicula shackletoni
- Nitzschia australocommutata
- Nitzschia westiorum
- Psammothidium germainii
- Psammothidium papilio
- Stauroneis latistauros
Onyx River, Wright Valley.
See: Overview maps
The Onyx River flows west (left) toward Lake Vanda. View north from Wright Valley through Bull Pass into Victoria Valley. 0. Photo: Josh Landis, NSF/RPS.
Surveying for placement of Onyx River gaging station near Lake Vanda. 1990. Photo: Sarah Spaulding.
Measuring discharge in the Onyx River. 1990. Photo: Sarah Spaulding.
