Geological mapping and examination of the Beacon SuperGroup in Victoria Land: Beacon Heights, Skelton Neve, Portal Mountain and Horseshoe Mountains, Allan Hills, Darwin Mountains and Victoria Valley area

The stratigraphy of the Beacon Super Group in the Beacon Heights was previously described. This study was continued this season, extending the stratigraphy northward to the Mackay Glacier and southward to the Darwin Glacier to help establish a sound regional stratigraphic framework, a necessity for future petrologic and paleogeographic studies and for regional geological mapping. The areas visited and work carried out includes the following; 1) Beacon Heights: A reconnaissance of the geology of the SW side of the Tyalor Glacier in the vicinity of Windy Gully was conducted by helicopter. The 1,100m section at West Beacon was measured and described and detailed rock collections were made. Notes and photos of the geology of the area were also made to provide information for map compilation on a scale of 1:250,000. 2) Skelton Neve: Three days were spent at Mt Metschel measuring and sampling the Devonian fishbeds and the Permian glacial beds. At Allemand Peak, three stratigraphic sections were measured and sampled with excellent specimens of fish collected and a side trip was made to study the geology at Mt Warren. A 1,000ft section was measured near the Deception Glacier north of Mt Wise. 3) Portal Mountain and Horseshoe Mountains: Stratigraphic sections were measured, the areas were mapped and further collections of fossilized fish and plants were collected. 4) Allan Hills: Geological mapping and sampling was conducted in the northwest arm of Allan Hills, Battlement Nunatak and Coombs Hills. 5) Darwin Mountains: Geological mapping and sampling was conducted around Island Arena and the north east side of the Hatherton Glacier. 6) Victoria Valley area: The Beacon basement contacts were studied at Mt Suess, Sperm Bluff, outcrops south of Pegtop Mountain in the Clare Range, Wheeler Valley, Vashka Crag and the Olympus range between Mt Aeolus and Boreas. In summary detailed geological sections were measured with jacob staff and abney levels at most sites, detailed collections of rock samples were taken from all measured sections for petrographic and chemical analysis, rich deposits of fish fossils, plant material and Permian glacial striations were discovered, samples from the rhythmic banded Mt Warren dolerite sill were collected and examined and over 8,000 square miles of geological data was collected for use in map compilation at a scale of 1:250,000. Mapping started by earlier VUWAE expedition was extended, new data was added and a better understanding of the paleogeography of these areas was found.