Geological investigations of the basement rocks in the Evans Neve area, North Victoria Land

The basement rocks in a small area on the eastern edge of the Evans Neve, north Victoria Land were studied. The areas visited and examined included Mt Overlord, Mt Goby and the Retreat Hills, The Pleiades, the Mariner Glacier area, Salamander Range, all of the nunataks between Sphinx Peak and the Quartzite Ranges and the Quartzite Ranges themselves. Of major importance was the discovery of fossils in the Bowers Group at the head of the mariner Glacier. These are the first body fossils to be discovered in the Bowers Group and the first (apart from some plant remains) to be found in Northern Victoria Land. A further important discovery was the presence of Bowers Group rocks in the northern part of the Evans Neve lying far to the west of previously known occurrences. Geological mapping and sampling of the McMurdo Volcanic Group was undertaken at the Pleiades where a basalt-trachyte-basalt eruptive sequence was recognized. Geological data for compiling the 1:250,000 Freyberg Mountain map was also collected.