Immediate report of Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 1988-89: VUWAE 33

Abstract

Abstract

Exposures of Beacon strata in the Darwin Mountains, Cook Mountains and Britannia Range and in the Convoy Range-Allan Hills area were visited during the 1988-89 Antarctic field season The field program involved measurement of stratigraphic sections, paleocurrent directions, facies interpretation and a systematic study of trace fossil distributions.

Initial findings from the project include:

1)	Beacon strata in the Darwin Glacier area are interpreted as non-marine, thus requiring previous interpretations of the Hatherton Sandstone to be revised.
2)	Taylor Group strata in the Darwin Glacier area are similar to the sequence in the Knobhead area and new correlations are proposed.
3)	A previously unrecorded Devonian fish fauna was collected from a newly discovered exposure of Aztec Siltstone in the Cook Mountains and contains an unusual association of sharks and phylloloids.
4)	A 150 m thick sequence recording a lacustrine to glacio-lacustrine transition was discovered at the base of the Darwin Tillite, below the diamictite phase, in the Hatherton Glacier.
5)	The trace fossil Skolithos was observed in close association with overbank ephemeral pond deposits and paleosols.
6)	Diplichnites is restricted to large tabular and trough cross bed facies which are interpreted as alluvial deposits. The tracks were probably formed by terrestrial arthropods walking across exposed bed forms.
7)	Large scale slump folding at Elkhorn Ridge (Convoy Range) is shown to be associated with emplacement of Ferrar Dolerite.
8)	A ten degree angular unconformity previously recorded within the Weller Coal Measures at Allan Hills was found to result from juxtaposition of very large point bar and channel floor deposits.
9)	Bed forms resembling hummocky cross stratification were observed in the Weller Coal Measures at Allan Hills and are inferred to be the result of antidune formation.