Previous workers in these areas (VUWAE4 and VUWAE6) had mapped Precambrian basement recks similar to those found in mineralised areas of Australia, South Africa, Canada and Scandinavia. VUWAE9's mission was to examine geological environmental which by analogy seemed likely to be mineralised and to look for mineralised boulders in moraines. Minor copper mineralisation had been recorded by VUWAE6 in the Nussbaum Riegel Belt of metasediments, Taylor Valley.

Environments in the the area considered most likely to be mineralised are faults, amphibolite-marble-fault contacts, granite-marble contacts (skarns) and pegnative dykes.

FAULTS

Very few large faults have been mapped in the region, and none were accessible. Several small faults were examined and found to be barren. The locality of a large, inferred fault, between the Radian Glacier and Roaring Valley, Walcott Bay area, was examined but the prosence of a fault was not definitely established and no mineralisation was observed. Soil samples were collected from scree in the vicinity and will be analysed for copper and zinc. Two small sulphide nodules containing pyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite were found at the contact of a dolerite lyke and Precambrian marble in this area. Furthermore the dolerite appeared macroscopically similar to Ferrar Dolerite which forms mills within the Deacon sandstone. Three other dykes of similar composition were recorded in the area and these may be part of a swarm of feeder dykes for the sills. This is believed to be the first discovery of sill-[unclear: dylan] within the Precombrian basement rocks; however extensive laboratory work is necessary to prove the relationship.

AMPHIBOLITE - MARBLE - FAULT CONTACTS.

Amphibolite is generally present in minor amounts within metasediments which are mainly marbles. Field examination indicated that these were unfavourable for mineralisation.

GRANITE - MARBLE CONTACTS (SKARNS)

These were generally barren, but minor amounts of pyrrhotite and lesser chalcopyrite were found near Penance Pass (North ridge of [unclear: Miers] Valley), south of the snout of the Taylor Glacier and on the east side of Nussbaum Riegal. Traces of Malachite Here present at most of these localities. The two Taylor Valley localities appeared to be impure beds within a dominantly marble sequence and were not in direct contact with granite. One mineralised boulder was found in Taylor Valley moraine but it was similar to, and within one mile of, the in situ occurrence south of the Taylor Glacier snout. It is planned to examine the pyrrhotite in polished section to see if any nickel sulphide (pentlandite) is present.

PEGNATITES

Numerous pegmatites were examined but they were invariably small and of a type commonly found in granite but rarely associated with mineralisation. Ilmenite (Fe Ti O₃) was found in a pegmatite boulder in Taylor Valley moraine.

GENERAL

The Koettlitz - Blue Glacier and Taylor Valley region is characterised by a lack of sulphides and must be regarded as generally unfavourable to base metal sulphide mineralisation. Furthermore, all sulphides found had small gossanous caps and ochreous brown and yellowish iron staining associated with them so that any large body of sulphides reaching the surface would almost certainly have attracted attention during previous work in the area. Ochreous brown staining is common throughout the region, especially in aplite screes, and it is apparently derived from the weathering of biotite. However the characteristic yellow colour found with all sulphide occurrences serves to differentiate between sulphide-derived and biotite-derived iron staining.

No appreciable quantitities of industrial minerals were located during the survey, apart from marbles which are abundant and in most cases of apparently high purity.

During the examination of Taylor Valley several boulders of pink Irizar granite were examined in moraine, although none of the known outcrops were reached. This granite is macroscopically similar to tin bearing granites in North Queensland and deserves investigation for pneumatolytic mineralisation of tin, tungsten, molybdenum and rare earths, Molybdenite has already been recorded by Gunn and [gap — reason: illegible]arren from near Granite Harbour; the molybdenite was found in pegmatite associated with Irizar Granite.

Thirty soil samples were collected in the region, including a set down-slope from copper mineralisation. The samples will be analysed for copper and sine to test the effectiveness of geochemical prospecting in the region.

SUMMARY:

Traces of sulphide mineralisation, including copper were found in skarns at four localities in the region. On weathered surfaces and in soils, sulphides are indicated by yellow staining. Generally the region is lacking in sulphides and is regarded as unfavourable for large scale sulphide mineralisation.

The Irizar Granite should be examined for possible pneumatolytic tin, tungsten, molybdenum rare earth mineralisation.

Soil samples were collected to test the effectiveness of geochemical prospecting in the region.

D.O. Zimmerman.