Jurassic titaniferous ironstone in a Devonian host: Pivot Coal Measures expunged

The Devonian, Pivot Coal Measures in southern Victoria Land are non-carbonaceous. The sequence contains bedding parallel, titaniferous ironstones up to 50 cm thick, but no coal or carbonaceous shale, the unit is consequently renamed Pivot Member of the Arena Sandstone. The more Fe-Ti oxide-rich (up...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Authors: Woolfe, Ken J., Arnot, Malcolm J., Bradley, Graham M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1995
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095410209500040x
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S095410209500040X
Description
Summary:The Devonian, Pivot Coal Measures in southern Victoria Land are non-carbonaceous. The sequence contains bedding parallel, titaniferous ironstones up to 50 cm thick, but no coal or carbonaceous shale, the unit is consequently renamed Pivot Member of the Arena Sandstone. The more Fe-Ti oxide-rich (up to 40 modal %) beds appear black and coal-like with conchoidal fracture and closely spaced cleat-like fractures. The coal-like beds grade laterally and vertically into less altered sedimentary rocks in which fine bedding-parallel concentrations of Fe-Ti oxide pick-out parting surfaces on ripples and other sedimentary structures. Thin section petrography shows that the Fe-Ti oxide is replacive, and outcrop relationships show that the replacement was related to dolerite intrusion 200 million years after the sedimentary host was deposited. Replacement of muscovite, biotite and chlorite by Fe-Ti-oxide occurred at 179 ± 3 Ma, at pressures of 0.3–0.4 kbar and at temperatures as low as 380°C.