Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1968-69: VUWAE 13
Geological Results
Geological Results
During the last decade investigations of Beacon Group rocks have been undertaken alone the entire length of Victoria Land. Naturally enough, the more accessible areas have received a great deal of attention, the more inaccessible have been barely scratched. The Beacon Group exposures in the type area west of McMurdo Sound have witnessed hundreds of investigators. Since 1907, when Ferrar's initial account of these rocks appeared, there have been more than forty papers published on the Beacon sediments of this area alone. The rocks of this area are now quite well known although many stratigraphic and nomenclatural problems remain. The basic stratigraphy is now known through most of Victoria Land and it is now possible to compare, contrast and correlate Beacon Group sediments over great distances. Nevertheless, outstanding differences between areas have emerged.
1. | providing a more detailed stratigraphy for the lower Beacon Group sediments, i.e. the Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian. |
2. | improve if at all possible the most promising paleontological collections of fish made by barren in the Boomerang Range. |
Despite the great number of Investigators who have visited the Wright-Taylor area, many critical problems had been overlooked or greatly simplified, and much work regained to be done. Therefore, the second phase of this year's geological programme included a re-evaluation of the Beacon Group in the type area. Having done this we were then in a better position to discuss stratigraphic problems between the Boomerang Range in the south and the Olympus Range in the north.
1. | Detailed sections, measured with Jacob staff, were prepared at
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2. | Devonian fish collections were made at the following localities:
Fish material consists of fin-spines, plates, skull plates, jaws, teeth, etc. These occur in red and green Aztec Siltstone, usually confined to narrow horizons out reworked and disseminated in to higher levels. Concentrated fossil pavements are common at some localities. |
3. | Permian plant collections were noted and/or made at
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4. | Devonian lycopod collections were made at lit Fleming. |
5. | ? [sic]Carboniferous tillite was observed at many localities within the Boomerang Range and at barren Range, Mt Metschel nunatak, Aztec Mountain, Maya Mountain, Kennar Valley and Mt Fleming. |
6. | A distinct regional disconformity separates the top of the tillite (or where this is absent the top of the Aztec Siltstone) from the overlying Permian coal measures. This was traced from north to south over a distance of about seventy miles. |
7. | Special attention was paid to the lithostratigraphy of Devonian sediments, including a critical re-examination of the Odin Arkose, Boreas Subgreywacke, Beacon Heights Orthoquartzite, and Aztec Siltstone of Webb (1963), the New Mountain Sandstone of Hamilton and Hayes (1963) and McElroy (in press), the Pyramid Sandstone of Hamilton and Hayes (1963), the Terra Cotta Windy Gully member of Seller, Angino and Turner (1961) and the Altar Mountain Formation of McElroy (in press). Most of these formations have their page 17 stratotypes in the Taylor Glacier region: many are synonymous. It is hoped that as a result of this summer's work a more rational nomenclature can be evolved for the lower Beacon Group. |
8. | Large collections of rock specimens have been made for petrographic analysis. Rock types include arkoses, orthoquartzites, siltstones, claystones, etc. |
9. | Existing geological maps have been corrected and new data added. |