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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1974-75: VUWAE 19

Late Cenozoic Stratigraphy

Late Cenozoic Stratigraphy

  1. The "silty till deposits" - the bedded polymictons (Murrell, 1973) - throughout the Taylor Dry Valley were described and sampled in detail. At 10 measured sections (max. 30 m thickness) in the valley, rather similar fine sediments and inclusions, interbedded with coarse sands, pebbly sands and very coarse unsorted material (till) are recognised below 300 m elevation. These sediments are considered as having their origin within a fiord and in a similar manner (but probably younger.) to those named as basal silts (Prospect Till) in Upper Wright Valley (Vucetich and Topping, 1972). The DVDP Commonwealth hole showed that, as predicted (Murrell, 1973) the bedded polymicton and till sediments were appreciably thick - in fact some 300 metres.
  2. A minimum age for the formation of the Taylor "fiord" may be determined from radiometric ages of the few tuff beds recognised, and also from secondarily transported basalt scoria.
  3. In the Lake Vida area the Victoria Drift and Insel Drift (Calkin, 1964) were examined over a wide area for comparison with the established basal silt till of Wright Valley (Vucetich and Topping, 1972). Natural outcrops were found to be limited. However a probable fine-grained tuff bed was sampled.