Geological investigation of the depositional setting of Beacon rocks in south Victoria Land including the Darwin Mountains, Cook Mountains, Britannia Range and the Convoy Range in Allan Hills

Devonian strata from south Victoria Land has been variously interpreted as marine and non-marine due to the presence of trace fossils that have previously been considered to indicate marine environments in sediments which are strongly indicative of alluvial plain deposition. The local and large scale depositional setting of the Beacon in south Victoria Land was examined. Field work was concentrated on solving problems such as paleoenvironment, paleoslope, basin shape and provenence of the sediment, with computer based modelling used to examine the regional tectonic setting. Exposures of Beacon strata in the Darwin Mountains, Cook Mountains and Britannia Range and in the Convoy Range - Allan Hills area were visited. Measurements of stratigraphic sections, paleocurrent directions, facies interpretation and a systematic study of trace fossil distribution was undertaken. A new fossil fish locality was found near the summit peak of Mt Hughes in the Cook Mountains.