A preliminary report on a possible stromatolite find from the Elephant Moraine, Antarctica: A potential directional indicator for ice movement
During the 1983 to 1984 Antarctic Search for Meteorites field season, numerous specimens of a shiny black rock were collected from among the glacial debris at the Elephant Moraine. From a distance these black rocks gave the appearance of meteorites, but upon closer inspection, distinct layering and...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Other/Unknown Material |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
1986
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19860019357 |
| Summary: | During the 1983 to 1984 Antarctic Search for Meteorites field season, numerous specimens of a shiny black rock were collected from among the glacial debris at the Elephant Moraine. From a distance these black rocks gave the appearance of meteorites, but upon closer inspection, distinct layering and radial crystal growth patterns became clearly visible. Laboratory investigations showed that these unusual specimens are primarily composed of carbonate minerals. Petrographically, microscopic examination of twelve randomly collected specimens revealed a variety in the habits of the carbonates, but the overall trend tends to be one of radiating acicular crystals that have the appearance of a pseudo-cellular structure reminiscent of stromatolites. It is not possible at this time to specifically identify this possible stromatolite material or its source locality. |
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