This dissertation has been 65—1200 microfilmed exactly as received LONG, William Ellis, 1930- THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE OHIO RANGE, ANTARCTICA. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1964 G eology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE OHIO RANGE, ANTARCTICA DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By William Ellis Long, B.S., Rl.S. The Ohio State University 1964 Approved by A (Miser Department of Geology PLEASE NOTE: Figure pages are not original copy* ' They tend tc "curl11. Filled in the best way possible. University Microfilms, Inc. Frontispiece. The Ohio Range, Antarctica as seen from the summit of ITIt. Glossopteris. The cliffs of the northern escarpment include Schulthess Buttress and Darling Ridge. The flat area above the cliffs is the Buckeye Table. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The preparation of this paper is aided by the supervision and advice of Dr. R. P. Goldthwait and Dr. J. M. Schopf. Dr. 5. B. Treves provided petrographic advice and Dir. G. A. Doumani provided information con­ cerning the invertebrate fossils. Invaluable assistance in the fiBld was provided by Mr. L. L. Lackey, Mr. M. D. Higgins, Mr. J. Ricker, and Mr. C. Skinner. Funds for this study were made available by the Office of Antarctic Programs of the National Science Foundation (NSF grants G-13590 and G-17216). The Ohio State Univer­ sity Research Foundation and Institute of Polar Studies administered the project (OSURF Projects 1132 and 1258). Logistic support in Antarctica was provided by the United States Navy, especially Air Development Squadron VX6. iii VITA August 18, 1930 Born - llllnot, North Dakota 1957 B.S., University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 1957 .... Field Geologist, Western Gulf Oil Co., Los Angeles, California 1957-1959 ..... Glaciologist, Byrd Station, Antarctica 1959-1954 Research Associate, The Ohio State University Institute of Polar Studies 1961 ......... III.S., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1960-1961 ..••• Leader, Geological Expedition, Ohio Range, Antarctica 1961-1962 ••••• Leader, Geological Expedition, Ohio Range, Antarctica 1963-1964 .... Leader, Geological Expedition, Thorval'd Nilsen Mountains, Antarctica 1964 ........ Instructor, The Ohio State University, Branch Campus, Lima, Ohio PUBLICATIONS "Preliminary report of the geology of the Central Range of the Horlick Mountains, Antarctica." The Ohio State University Research Foundation, Rept. 825-2-Pt. VII, 23 p., September 1959. "Stratigraphy of the Central Range, Horlick Mountains, Antarctica." Paper presented to the Simposio de Antarctico de Buenos Aires, November 1959. "Geologic investigation of the Central Horlick Mountains, Antarctica." National Academy of Science, I .G .Y. Bull, no. 37, pp..10-15, figs. 5-6, 1 table, July I960. iv "Antarctic coal geology•" tUith J. fll. Schopf (abst.), . Bulletin Geological Society of America, vol. 71, no. 12, pt. 2, p. 1967, 1960. "Glaciology, Byrd Station and Marie Byrd Land Traverse, . 1958-1959." The Ohio State University Research foundation Rept. 825-2-Pt. XI, 296 p., January 1961. "Preliminary report of the geology of the Central Range of . the Horlick Mountains, Antarctica." Reports of Antarctic Geological Observations, 1956-60, l.G.Y. Glaciological Report No. 4, l.G.Y. UJorld Data Center At Glaciology; pp. 123-142, January 1961. "Permo-Carboniferous glaciation in Antarctica." Geological . Society of America (Abst.), Spec. Paper No. 68, p. 314, January 1962. "Sedimentary rocks of the Buckeye Range, Horlick Mountains, Antarctica." Science, vol. 136, no. 3513, pp. 319-321, April 27, 1962. "The ancient life of the Antarctic." Uiith G. A. Doumani, Scientific American, vol. 207, no. 3, pp. 168-184. "Geology in Antarctica, The Sedimentary Rocks." Bulletin of the U. S. Antarctic Projects Officer, vol. IV, no. 5, pp. 15-18, February 1963. "Stratigraphy of the Horlick Mountains." Proceedings of . Special Committee on Antarctic Research, Symposium on Antarctic Geology, 16-21 September, 1963, Cape Town, South Africa. "Stratigraphy of the Horlick Mountains." (Abst.) Polar . Record, vol. 11, no. 75 (Sept.), p. 766; also reprinted in Scott Polar Research Institute, SCAR Bull. 15, p. 766, August 1963. "Geology of the western escarpment of the Thorvald Nilsen . Mountains." Bulletin of the U. S. Antarctic Projects Officer, vol. V,‘ June 1963. "Scientific results from investigations of the Ohio Range, . Antarctica.? The Mountain World, 1964. "Stratigraphy of the Ohio Range, Antarctica." To be . published in Antarctic Research Series, Geology, ^ American Geophysical Institute, summer 1964. v "Coal metamorphism and igneous associations in Antarctica." . With R. Gray, N. Schapiro, and J • M • Schopf, American Conference on Coal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, June 23-26, 1964. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Fields Geology Studies in Geomorphology and Glacial Geology. Professors Richard P. Goldthwait and Sidney E. White Studies in Coal Geology. Professor James M. Schopf Studies in Structural Geology. Professor Howard J. Pincus Studies in Petrology. Professor Carl A. Lamey Studies in Stratigraphy and Sedimentation. Professors Malcolm P. Weiss, George E. Moore, Jr., and Robert L. Bates vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ...................................... 1 Purpose and scope ....... 1 History of Ohio Range investigations ...... 3 PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOIKIORPHOLQGY ................... 8 Climate ........ 11 UJinds .............................................18 Weathering ................................... 17 Escarpment and surface evolution ............. 19 Fault blocks ........................... 23 Erosion of escarpment ............. 25 Surfaces.............. 28 STRATIGRAPHY ...................................... 35 General statement .................. 35 The basement complex .......... 35 Distribution ........................... 37 Lithology ......................... 37 A g e ....... AO Nonconformity at the base of the sedimentary section ..... 41 vii Page The Horlick Formation ..... 46 Occurrence ...... *................ 46 Thickness ........ 47 Description .............. 47 F o s s i l s ............ 51 Depositional environment ............ 52 The Buckeye Tillite ............ 53 Areal distribution ........... 53 Thickness ....................... 56 Lithology ............. 56 Stone morphology ...... 60 Sandstone bodies within the Buckeye Tillite ...................... 62 Direction of ice motion ................ 66 Criteria for recognition of tillite .... 72 The origin of the Buckeye Tillite ..... 80 Relation to underlying and overlying rocks .................. 81 Age and correlation .................... 84 The Discovery Ridge Formation ............... 86 Definition and type area ............... 86 Areal distribution ..................... 87 Lithology ............................... 87 Thickness ................... 88 Relation to underlying and overlying rocks ................... 93 Age and correlation .................... 93 viii Page The Wit. Glossopteris Formation ............ 94 Definition and type area ...... 94 Areal distribution ..................... 95 Relation to underlying and overlying rocks ...................... 97 Thickness ......... 98 Lithology .............................. 98 Shale, siltstone and mudstone ..... 104 Coal .............................. 105 Environment of deposition ........... 108 Fossils .................................. Ill Age and correlation .................... 115 The diabase sill (Ferrar ? Dolerite) .......... 121 Size and distribution... .......... 123 Petrography ........... 123 Correlation ....................... 123 Age ............................... 124 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY .............................. 125 General ........................... 125 Foldi ng........................ 127 Faulting .......................... 129 Joint patterns ............................. 136 GEOLOGIC HISTORY ........................... 138 Pre-sedimentary rock ...................... 138 Devonian sedimentary rock history ........... 140 ix Page Louier Devonian to Lou/er P e r m i a n ........ 141 Permian ........................... 142 Post-depositional history 150 Historical summary ........................... 152 PERNO-CARBONIFEROUS TILLITE IN SOUTH AFRICA ..... 155 Historical studies of the Dwyka ....... 155 Distribution of the Dwyka ........ 165 Lithology of the boulder beds ............... 165 Varieties of the Dwyka ...................... 167 Phases of the Dwyka .......................... 168 Thickness of the Dwyka ....... 169 Striated pavements ........ 169 The direction of ice flow ................... 170 Upper and lower boundaries .................. 171 COMPARISON OF THE BUCKEYE TILLITE AND THE DUiYKA TILLITE ........... 173 Stratigraphic position ...................... 173 Distribution ................................. 174 Lithology ..... 174 Varieties of tillite ................... 176 Phases of the tillite ........................ 179 Thickness ................. 180 Striated pavements ...... 181 The direction of ice flow .................. 182 Summary ...... 182 x Page THE PERfYlO-CARBONIFEROUS GLACIATION IN INDIA ..... 186 History ................... .......... 166 COMPARISON OF THE BUCKEYE TILLITE WITH THE TALCHIR BOULDER BEDS .................. 196 Stratigraphic position ................... 196 Age of the tillite ......... 198 Distribution ...................... 200 Lithology ................................. 200 Varieties of the t i l l i t e ...........