Geology and palaeontology of the James Ross Basin. Project No. 4 2002-2004

This multidisciplinary project is included in the geological research performed
during the last years on the James Ross Basin, Antarctica, by the IAA-DNA.
According to this a 3 year working plan have been elaborated with a starting
field trip during 2001.

The project consist on the search, extraction and study of vertebrates fossils,
in particular dinosaurs, and the study of the associated fauna and flora,
additionally Cretacic and Tertiary rock samples will be collected for
paleomagnetic studies and fossiliferous Cainozoic rock for palaeoenvironmental
studies. Lake sedimentary cores will be obtained for palaeoclimatic studies of
the area as well as for palaeosecular variation of the earth magnetic field.
Environmental magnetism studies on actual soils will be performed to
characterise places affected by antropogenic pollution and those unaffected.

The systematic sampling of the outcropping rock of the James Ross Basin will
increase the knowledge of its density and magnetic features in order to help
the optimisation of the modelling of the aerogeofisical data (gravity and
magnetism) obtained by Aeromag Ross project during 1998.

The "Geology and Palaeontology of the James Ross Basin" project will bring
geological, environmental and climatic information to increase the knowledge of
an important region of Antarctic Peninsula.

Duration: 2002-2004