Volcanic Rocks of the Ross Island Area Blende Trachyte Porphyry Or of Olivine Basalt Por- Phyry
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ley. This process is due to the presence of an ice- two inches, are abundant. Field observations indicate cemented layer close to the surface (usually less than that they are lag materials that weathering has freed 40 cm) and to frequent (although light) summer from the fine-grained matrix of the anorthoclase snow falls coupled with high humidity. trachyte porphyry flows. On the lower flanks of Particular attention is being paid to soil-profile Mount Erebus, in the saddle between Mounts Terra samples with respect to physical and chemical Nova and Erebus, flows of black-glassy-scoriaceous- weathering and to ionic translocations. A map is porphyritic-anorthoclase trachyte (Kenyte) occur. being prepared to correlate and define the soils, the They resemble the glassy anorthoclase trachyte of surficial geology, and the glacial history of Wright the Cape Royds area (Treves, 1962). Locally, the Valley. black trachyte porphyry overlies a grey, massive trachyte. Loose anorthoclase crystals that weathering References has released from the trachyte are also abundant. Behling, R. E. and P. E. Calkin. 1969. Chemical-physical Mount Discovery: The top of the mountain is weathering, surficial geology, and glacial history of the covered by snow and ice. There are, however, nu- Wright Valley, Victoria Land. Antarctic Journal of the merous outcrops near the summit. Some of these U.S., IV(4): 128-129. were found to consist of trachyte, basalt, and basalt Calkin, P. E., R. E. Behling, and C. Bull. 1970. Glacial porphyry. In general, the trachyte is younger than history of Wright Valley, southern Victoria Land, Ant- arctica. Antarctic Journal of the U.S., V( 1): 22-27. the basalt. Basalt younger than the trachyte occurs on the lower slopes. Mount Bird: A number of small outcrops occur on the broad summit, consisting either of horn- Volcanic Rocks of the Ross Island Area blende trachyte porphyry or of olivine basalt por- phyry. The hornblende trachyte is like the rocks that SAMUEL B. TREVES occur at Cape Bird (Treves, 1967). Mount Terror: Only the broad outcrop areas to Department of Geology the east of the steep summit peaks were investigated. University of Nebraska These areas were deeply covered with rubble that and consisted of trachyte, basalt, and red and black Institute of Polar Studies scoria. Outcrops are rare and consist of basalt. The Ohio State University Visual examination indicated that the summit areas consist of trachyte and basalt. During the 1969-1970 austral summer, the geology Mount Morning: The summit consists of small of the summit areas of Mounts Terra Nova, Erebus, vents and flows of olivine basalt and scoria that re- Discovery, Bird, Terror, and Morning were investi- semble the younger basalts of the lower flanks of gated. Additional work was done in the McMurdo Mount Discovery. area; on the flanks of Mounts Discovery, Terra Nova, The work done at McMurdo and Minna Bluff and Erebus; and on Minna Bluff. The preliminary tends to confirm the results of earlier work on these results of this work are as follows: and other areas (Treves, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1968, Mount Terra Nova: The summit is covered by 1969). A suite of nodules from a flow in the Mc- snow and ice. Outcrop areas immediately below the Murdo area was collected and will be studied. summit consist of basalt, olivine basalt, and scoria. The close support given by the helicopter pilots Glacial rubble consisting of basalt, trachyte, and and men of Burton Island is acknowledged. These scoria blankets most outcrops. The lower flanks of helicopters carried the writer to summit areas of all Terra Nova exhibit a few partially dissected vents of the mountains and stood by while specimens were and some flows that consist of olivine basalt, basalt, collected and the geology investigated. scoria, and pyroclastics. Hornblende basalt con- stitutes one of the flows of this area. References Mount Erebus: The highest outcrops investigated Treves, S. B. 1962. The geology of Cape Evans and Cape are just below the summit, between the summit and Royds, Ross Island, Antarctica. Antarctic Research. Geo- Fang Ridge. They consist of flows of anorthoclase physical Monograph, 7: 40-46. Treves, S. B. 1965. Volcanic rocks of Ross Island. Bulletin trachyte porphyry (Kenyte or Antarctic Kenyte) like of the U.S. Antarctic Projects Officer, VI (7) : 58-60. those that occur at Capes Royds and Evans (Treves, Treves, S. B. 1967. Volcanic rocks from the Ross Island, 1962). Outcrop surfaces show abundant evidence of Marguerite Bay and Mt. Weaver Areas, Antarctica. wind polishing, grooving, and planation. Sulphur JARE Scientific Reports, 1: 136-149. Treves, S. B. 1968. Volcanic rocks of the Ross Island area. blebs and crusts occur on some rocks, and mirabilite Antarctic Journal of the U.S., III (4) : 108-109. (?) is present on buried surfaces of most rocks. Treves, S. B. 1969. Volcanic rocks of the Ross Island area. Anorthoclase crystals, many of which are longer than Antarctic Journal of the U.S., IV (5): 207-208. July—August 1970 103.