Polskie badania geologiczne w Zachodniej Antarktyce (1978-1979)

• Main Author: Birkenmajer, Krzysztof
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Polish
• Published: Państwowy Instytut Geologiczny - PIB 1980
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet; King George Island; Penguin Island; South Shetland Islands; West Antarctica
• Online Access: https://gq.pgi.gov.pl/pg/article/view/19079

POLISH GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION IN WEST ANTARCTICA (1978-1979) Summary The paper relates geological investigations carried out during the austral summer of 1978-79 on King George Island, South Shetland Islands (West Antarctica) under the guidance of the present author. The main problems elaborated and the preliminary results of the field work are as follows. l. The geological mapping to a scale of l : 50000 covered an area of about 150 square km round Admiralty Bay and between Admiralty Bay and King George Bay on King George Island (Fig. 1). Together with geological mapping carried out during the austral summed of 1977-78, the total area of King George Island mapped covered more than 250 square km. Five other geological maps, to scales from l : 20000 to l : 2500, were made of selected areas of King George Island for various purposes (K. Birkenmajer). 2. New lithostratigraphic schemes were introduced for the Upper Jurassic and Tertiary volcanic- sedimentary successions, and older schemes were revised (K. Birkenmajer) - Tabs I-III. 3. Geological forms of gabbroic-dioritic intrusions of the "Andean" cycle (Upper Cretaceous - Paleocene) were established and related ore-mineralization investigated (K. Birkenmajer). 4. Mesostructures of the Upper Jurassic and Tertiary volcanic-sedimentary successions were investigated and main stages of structural deformation determined (A. K. Tokarski). 5. Traces of local glaciations during the Palaeogene (Eocene - Oligocene), tillites of continental glaciation (ice-sheet) during the Pliocene (Polonez Glaciation), and of large local glaciations at the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary were discovered (K. Birkenmajer) - Tab. I, III, Fig. 2. 6. Rich collections of Mesozoic and Tertiary plant fossils (petrified wood, leaf impressions etc.) and of Pliocene marine fauna were assembled (K. Birkenmajer, J. Błaszyk, A. Gaździcki). 7. Lichenometric dating was carried out to determine stages of glacier retreat and the stages of Penguin Island volcano formation (K. Birkenmajer) - Fig. 4.