Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 2000-01: VUWAE 45
[introduction]
This Event is a collaboration of researchers from Holland (Dr. Jaap van der Meer), Canada (Dr. Stephen Hicock) and New Zealand (Prof. Peter Barrett). The research proposal for the season's work initially included two PhD students (Holme and a Dutch student) and Hicock, but the Dutch student (Mark Lloyd-Davies) was forced to miss this field season because of a physical injury suffered in the weeks before the season was to begin.
The study of the Sirius Group at Allan Hills (Figure 2) began during the 1997-1998 season as a collaboration between Swiss and New Zealand researchers, but subsequently developed into the current configuration. The purpose of the research is to investigate glacial deposits termed the Sirius Group at three sites in the TAM. Initially the study was to be conducted only at Allan Hills, but through integration with the K047a event it became possible to study equivalent deposits at Mount Feather and Table Mountain for a minimum additional cost, thereby greatly increasing the scope of the project. A smaller study of deposits forming Mt. Watters, Allan Hills was conducted by Bornholdt for an Honour's project.
While at Allan Hills Bornholdt mapped and sampled volcanogenic and sedimentary deposits that comprise Mt. Waiters to determine the nature of the feature and the eruptive event which produced it. His collected data include: samples collected for thin-sectioning and microprobe analysis, geological descriptions, and measurements of fracture and inter-unit orientations. He produced a geological map of Mt. Watters in the field.
At Mount Feather and Table Mountain Holme and Hicock focussed on investigations of Sirius Group outcrops while Bornholdt assisted. Deposits at Mount Feather were studied because they are the highest elevation occurrence of Sirius Group deposits in the Dry Valleys region and have been the focus of several previous investigations (eg. Bleakley (1996), Barrett et al. (1997), Bruno et al. (1997) and Wilson and Barron (1998)) (Figure 4). During the six days spent at Mount Feather, three outcrops were described and sampled. From analysis of the detailed data collected it is apparent even at this preliminary stage that the paleo-iceflow direction was not from the northwest, as proposed by Wilson and Barron (1998), but from the southeast.
The deposits at Table Mountain were chosen for investigation because they occur at a similar elevation to those at Allan Hills, but are sedimentologically more variable; previous investigations there include: (eg. Bleakley (1996) and Dickinson (1997)). During the eight days spent at Table Mountain, four outcrops were described and sampled (Figure 5).
From Allan Hills, Mt. Feather and Table Mountain, a total of nine outcrops were described and sampled this season. The data collected include: 24 samples taken for thin-sectioning and laboratory analysis, 330 clast orientations, 51 linear glacial abrasions (eg. Figure 6) and 79 planar deformational structures