Correlation of byrd and selborne groups, with implications for the byrd glacier discontinuity, central transantarctic mountains, Antarctica

E. Stump, B. F. Gootee, F. Talarico, W. R. Van Schmus, P. K. Brand*, K. A. Foland, C. M. Fanning

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    18 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    South of Byrd Glacier, central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, Lower Cambrian Shackleton Limestone (Byrd Group) is divided into four informal members. The transition from Shackleton carbonates to clastics of Starshot Formation is conformable, with alternating units of limestone and argillite, and a thick succession of pillow basalt. Douglas Conglomerate is interbedded with and overlies Starshot Formation, and overlies folded Shackleton Limestone unconformably. Lower amphibolite-grade Selborne Group is composed of Madison Marble and Contortion Schist. The contact between the two formations is interbedded marble and schist, and includes metabasalt. We correlate Byrd Group with Selborne Group, Shackleton Limestone with Madison Marble, and Starshot Formation and Douglas Conglomerate with Contortion Schist. These correlations and the lack of equivalent lithologies to the north of Byrd Glacier imply that Byrd Glacier is the northern boundary of the Byrd depositional basin, and reinforces the notion that it marks a major tectonic discontinuity crossing the Ross Orogen.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)157-171
    Number of pages15
    JournalNew Zealand Journal of Geology, and Geophysics
    Volume47
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2004

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