Geological mapping and topographical surveying of the mountainous and glaciated area between the Bryd and Axel Heiberg Glacier

A large area in the south western section of Ross Dependency, the mountainous and glaciated area between the Polar Plateau and the Ross Ice Shelf, extending from the Byrd to the Axel Heiberg Glacier was topographically and geologically surveyed by two separate field parties. The northern field party surveyed and geologically mapped 11,000 square miles from the Polar Plateau into the Miller Range, the Marsh Glacier, Sandford Cliffs, Bowden Neve, Law Glacier, Fido Valley, Mt Falla, Mt Wild and the Marshall Mountains. Seventeen separate localities were sampled for soil with details of position, topography, etc was recorded. 5 of these were in the Miller Range, representative of the majority of the detrital slopes with respect to variables of terrain and parent material. Each locality was sampled from surface to -1", lowest part of the profile, and a sample from between these limits. The remaining samples were taken from the Bowden Neve and Queen Elizabeth and Queen Alexandra Ranges several photographs of terrain, of possible interest or typical soil profiles were taken. The southern party surveyed and geologically mapped 16,000 square miles from the Queen Alexandra Range in the northwest to the Axel Heiberg Glacier in the south east and in width from the Polar Plateau to the Ross Ice Shelf. The areas visited include, but are not limited to Mill Island, Mill Glacier, Dominion Range, Plunket Point and Beardmore Glacier, Keltie Glacier, Husky Dome, Shackleton Glacier, Mt Fridtjof Nansen, Mt Ole Englestad, Liv Glacier and the Axel Heiberg Glacier. The main objective was to lay down a single triangulation network covering the entire area. 20 full survey stations and 12 satellite stations were surveyed including 10 hilltop stations. Two baselines were chained, one on the Mill Glacier and the other at the head of the Axel Heiberg Glacier. Geological work was concentrated on the Beacon sediment and nine sections between the Dominion Range and the head of the Shackleton Glacier with descriptions of the rock types, measurements of the small sections typical of each formation and collection of representative sandstone types for petrographic study. Rocks were collected from the mouth of the Axel Heiberg Glacier and included any fossils found, a selection of lavas from the uppermost Beacon for petrographic study and a series of typical sandstones from each formation for sedimentary petrographic work.