Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T12:18:31.830Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Cycles of erosion and deposition during the Permo-Carboniferous glaciation in the Transantarctic Mountains

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2004

Ken J. Woolfe
Affiliation:
Geology Department, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia

Abstract

At two localities adjacent to Hatherton Glacier, Darwin Mountains, a thick glacio-lacustrine sequence underlies the main diamictite facies of the Darwin Tillite (Metschel Tillite), and at one of these locations a glacio-lacustrine sequence also conformably overlies the diamictite. These deposits record the initial advance and final retreat of the Gondwana ice cap. Other, pro- and periglacial phases within these sequences record several minor advances and retreats of the ice sheet. Carbonaceous sediments above and below the main diamictite phase show that vegetation was established near the ice margin, suggesting that present-day ice margin temperatures are colder than those experienced during the Permo-Carboniferous (Gondwana) glaciation. It appears that there was little or no erosion of the Devonian Taylor Group which underlies the glacial sequence. The apparent erosional nature of the contact between the Permo-Carboniferous glacial sequence and the overlying Permian coal measures is attributed to surface winnowing of unconsolidated tills and locally the units are conformable.

Type
Papers—Earth Sciences and Glaciology
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)