Geological mapping and investigations of the geology of the east and north of North Victoria Land: GANOVEX III Expedition

The third GANOVEX Expedition (German Antarctic North Victoria Land Expedition) was carried out aboard the M.V. Polar Queen, research vessel. The main objectives of the expedition were a) Basement: mapping metamorphism, structure and petrography in the Lanterman Range and its southern prolongation down to the Ross Sea coast, b) Granites: Petrography, geochemistry and geochronology comparison of Granite Harbour and Admiralty Intrusives with the main work in the region of overlap of the two generations, c) Stratigraphy: Lithology, geochemistry and sedimentology of upper Precambrian and Cambrian sediments, d) Volcanics: Petrology, geochemistry and mapping of the Bowers Group and Robertson Bay Group, e) Geochronology: deduction of Ross orogenic history by Rb/Sr and K/Ar dating of high and low grade metamorphic rocks and of granites, f) Ross Sea edge: structural analysis, dating of volcanism and relation to glacial events, g) Paleomagnetism: continuation of a sampling program for a deduction of a polar wander curve for Antarctica and h) Hut construction: establish a base hut and fuel dump in the Terra Nova Bay area. The expedition was completed in two phases: 1) Structure and metamorphism of the Lanterman Range, Black Prince Volcanics, geology of islands adjacent to Yule Bay, detailed investigations in the Daniels and Morozumi Range and sample collection for dating Robertson Bay rocks and, 2) Mapping between the Borchgrevink and Aviator Glaciers, investigation of Bowers Group rocks in the lower Mariner Glacier, detailed investigation of the basement complex and its relationship to Bowers Group rocks. The sites visited include Lanternman Ridge, Reilley Ridge, the island in the Yule Bay area, Bowers Mountains, Northern Bowers Mountains, Mt Belolikov, Mt Bruce, ANARE Mountains, Marozumi Range, Daniels Range, Kavarayskiy Hills, Salamander Range, Cape Jones at the mouth of the Borchgrevink Glacier, Daniell Peninsula, reconnaissance mapping of the Malta Plateau region, Mariner Glacier, Spatulate Ridge, Lawrence Peaks, Coulman Island and the Handler Ridge area.