(g) Potassium - Argon (K/A) Dating

It may be possible for a small number of volcanic samples collected by VUWAE 14 to be submitted for K/A dating. The following samples are considered well worthwhile being dated for the following reasons:

(1)	Kenyte from the highest moraines in the Lower Taylor Valley - Dating of this sample could give a maximum age to some of the glacial events in the Lower Taylor Valley.
(2)	Basalt from Cape Barne - This would give some indication of age relationships between the basalts and kenytes, as well as giving information about erosional processes. The kenyte is being dated for paleomagnetic work in the United States.
(3)	Basalt from White Island - This sample dates the oldest rock in the stratigraphic sequence recognised at the northern end of White Island. It gives a maximum age to cirque development as well as to the regional volcanic stratigraphy.
(4)	Trachyte dyke from basalt cone at Cape Crozier.
(5)	Basalt cone intruded by above dyke - Clearly, when such a well exposed relationship is established between two contrasting rock types, it is imperative to investigate their relative ages. These two samples represent a pattern observed at a number of localities at Cape Crozier, and they are considered to be representative of the area. An indication of the general stratigraphic sequence may assist in correlations to volcanic events studied by Cole and Ewart (1968).
(6)	Basalt dyke from Castle Rock, Hut Point Peninsula - page 23 From topographical evidence this rock may well be the oldest feature of the area. Composed principally of autoclastic breccias, a small dyke has intruded these rock types, thus dating the last phases of activity preserved at this locality. Again, dating would assist assessments of the rates of erosion in the region.
(7)	Basalt from Cape Bird - This sample was selected because it dates the main cone-building phase of Mt. Bird. Comparison with samples from Cape Crozier, Hut Point Peninsula and Black Island will give comparative data on the build-up of these volcanic lineations and assist in comparisons with the sequence of Cole and Ewart (1968).

Another three samples are to be submitted by Dr. J. W. Cole from those collected by VUWAE 9 on Black Island (see Cole and Ewart, 1968).

It is hoped that all these samples will be dated at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Gracefield. Material will be submitted for whole rock analyses except the kenyte which will be determined on the extracted anorthoclase phenocrysts.