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.

A deep borehole drilled at Rookhope in Weardale, Co. Durham in 1960–61 proved the Weardale Granite below Carboniferous sediments at a depth of 390 m; an account of the Carboniferous rocks is presented. The boring commenced in the basal Namurian Great Limestone and entered the Dinantian at the bottom of the limestone at 25 m. Most of the ten Brigantian cyclothems sectioned in the borehole are compound and average 30 m thick. They consist of an initial cycle often more than 20 m thick and overlying minor cycles that are usuallyless than 6 m thick. Each of the cycles, both initial and minor, are coarsening upwards sequences from marine limestone or mudstohe to deltaic and fluvial mudstone, sandstone, seatearth and occasionally a thin coal seam. The underlying Asbian consists of seven cyclothems averaging 8 m thick. By contrast they are simple coarsening upwards sequences similar to the Brigantian initial cycles, but no minor cycles are developed.

Marine fossils are abundant in the majority of cyclothems and are listed against their stratigraphical horizon in the borehole. Special studies of miospores, conodonts and foraminiferans from the borehole are presented. A consensus of biostratigraphical evidence shows that the base of the Carboniferous succession in the borehole is of early Asbian age.