Review of the geology and paleontology of the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica

Abstract The geology of the Ellsworth Mountains has become known in detail only within the past 40-45 years, and the wealth of paleontologic information within the past 25 years. The mountains are an anomaly, structurally speaking, occurring at right angles to the Transantarctic Mountains, implying...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: G. F. Webers, J. F. Splettstoesser
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
Ellsworth Mountains
Glossopteris
Heritage Range
Sentinel Range
The Sentinel
Transantarctic Mountains
Antarc*
Antarctica
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.594.4699
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1047/srp/srp107/of2007-1047srp107.pdf
Description
Summary:Abstract The geology of the Ellsworth Mountains has become known in detail only within the past 40-45 years, and the wealth of paleontologic information within the past 25 years. The mountains are an anomaly, structurally speaking, occurring at right angles to the Transantarctic Mountains, implying a crustal plate rotation to reach the present location. Paleontologic affinities with other parts of Gondwanaland are evident, with nearly 150 fossil species ranging in age from Early Cambrian to Permian, with the majority from the Heritage Range. Trilobites and mollusks comprise most of the fauna discovered and identified, including many new genera and species. A Glossopteris flora of Permian age provides a comparison with other Gondwana floras of similar age. The quartzitic rocks that form much of the Sentinel Range have been sculpted by glacial erosion into spectacular alpine topography, resulting in eight of the highest peaks in Antarctica.

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