The Permo-Carboniferous of North Victoria Land, Antarctica: continental depositional systems and paleo-environmental
evolution of a high-latitude Gondwana basin
This DFG project is based at the Department of Geoscience at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena (SCHO 1269/1-1) and
is part of the DFG research program SPP 1158 “Antarctic research with comparative investigations in the Arctic region”.
N. John, R. Gaupp; 12/2009-08/2013
Introduction
The Permian of North Victoria Land is part of a large continental basin system of south-eastern Gondwana that may have extended
from South Victoria Land to Tasmania. Field investigations have been carried out by R. Schöner, N. John and M. Atknison (field guide)
during the 10th German North Victoria Land Expedition (GANOVEX X) 2009/2010, The satellite-camp based field period enabled detailed
sedimentological investigations in the Helliwell Hills, the Morozumi Range, the Alamein Range and the Neall Massif. Supported by
Helicopter additional outcrops could be investigated in the southern Freyberg Mountains, the Lanterman Range and the Retreat Hills.
Project aims
This project aims towards a detailed description of the spatial and temporal evolution of the depositional system, occupying a
sedimentary basin of uncertain origin. This study covers investigations on depositional and architectural styles and sediment
provenance analysis, enabling the reconstruction of the paleo-environmental evolution, depositional dynamics as well as the
development and the type of the sedimentary basin.
Sedimentology
The studied deposits rest unconformably on metamorphic or igneous intrusive basement. Glacial and fluvio-glacial deposits,
which occur at the base of the section, are interpreted as the infill of a pre-existing paleo-relief. The contact between
Permo-Carboniferous fluvio-glacial sediments and fluvial Permian deposits is locally sharp, but occurs predominantly transitional.
A characteristic vertical pattern of the Permian fluvial deposits could be recognized within all mountain ranges. The fluvial
succession starts with coarse-grained, pebbly sandstone and clast-supported conglomerate, interpreted as typical braided stream
deposits. This lower part of the succession contains sporadically Glossopteris-bearing fine-grained sandstones and siltstones
that occur in very shallow, dm- to m-scale troughs. The fluvial succession grades into a series of fining upward units that commonly
start with pebbly, coarse-grained sandstone beds at the base, which are typically through cross-bedded with set thicknesses of dm-scale.
The unit merges into a heterolithic succession comprising medium-grained to fine-grained sandstones and siltstones, showing
predominantly ripple cross-lamination. The upper part of the succession is predominated by inclined heterolithic stratifications.
The base of these sets is often erosive and forms concave-up depressions, filled with medium-grained sandstone, showing a weak
fining-upward trend. Mostly the top is dominated by coarse-grained and medium-grained sandstone beds, characterized by spotted
whitish-grey weathering surfaces and abundant Skolithos-like burros as well as white concretions. Despite local differences in
the depositional evolution, a lithostratigraphic correlation seems to be reasonable across the basin. The distribution of different
lithofacies types allows a distinction between proximal and distal parts of the fluvial system.
Outlook
Further conclusions regarding the development of the fluvial system, possible tectonic as well as climatic controls on sedimentation
will be drawn based on further petrographical and geochemical analysis. These investigations will focus on sediment provenance and
diagenesis. Furthermore the collected samples contain partly very well preserved plant fossils, which will be used to study the
macoflora and the palynological inventory throughout the stratigraphic range.
Fig. 1. Map showing North Victoria Land and the location of the investigated area during the GANOVEX X expedition
(map compiled using satellite-image from USGSLIMA, 2009).
Fig. 2.: 1.5 m thick scour fill at the top of a conglomerate body at Boggs Valley;
Fig. 3.: Cross bedded pebbly sandstones with maximal set thicknesses of 5 m.
Fig. 4.:
Skolithos-like burrows, upper part of the section at Boggs Valley.
Scientists
Reinhard Gaupp, Nadine John
Allgemeine und Historische Geologie
Universität Jena
Research areas
North Victoria Land
Publications
Schöner R, John N, (submitted 2010): Sedimentological field investigations on Permian deposits (Beacon Supergroup) in North Victoria Land, Antarctica. Polarforschung.
Conference abstracts
John N, Schöner R, Gaupp R, 2010. The Permian Beacon Supergroup of North Victoria Land, Antarctica: Evolution of a fluvial system. 24. Internationale Polartagung, Obergurgl/Österreich, 05.09.-09.09.2010.
John N, Schöner R, Gaupp R, 2011. Fluviatile Architektur und Provenienzanalyse der Takrouna Formation in Nord-Viktoria-Land. 34.Treffen des Arbeitskreises „Geologie und Geophysik der Polargebiete“ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Polarforschung.
John N, Schöner R, Gaupp R, 2011. Sedimentology and composition of the Permian Beacon Supergroup of North Victoria Land, Antarctica: Implications for stratigraphic correlation and provenance, Sediment 2011, Leipzig, 23.06 -26.06.2011 (2nd poster winner)
John N, Schöner R, Gaupp R, 2011. Sedimentary architecture and provenance of the Permian Beacon Supergroup of North Victoria Land, Antarctica: Implications for the correlation of a fluvial system. 11th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences, Edinburgh/UK, 10.07.-16.07.2011
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Research funding organisation
German Research Foundation
Project number: SCHO 1269/1
Funding period: 2009 – 2013
