1 68 NOTES ON THE GLACIAL BEDS NEAR WYNYARD. 



regarding the age of the strata at Freestone Bhiff 

 (Sandy Cove) be correct we have Eocene resting imme- 

 •diately on the basal bed of the Permian. 



Now, all throughout Tasmania the permian forma- 

 tion above the basal glacial drift is represented by a 

 .series of great thickness, consisting of mudstones, lime- 

 stones, and coal measures, the latter being followed by 

 \hos€ of younger, probably mesozoic age. Now, we 

 ynust either assume that not a foot of this great thick- 

 ness of strata had been deposited near Wynyard, or 

 that they all were removed by subsequent denudation. 



It is impossible to assume that they were not de- 

 posited near Wynyard, because if the glacial drift, i.e., 

 the basal moraine, had formed the surface of the earth 

 ever since the early Permian, it w^ould probably be disin- 

 tegrated to such an extent that it would be hardly recog- 

 nisable. We cannot measure yet the absolute time that 

 lapsed between the beginning of the permian and that 

 of the tertiary epoch, but whatever it may have been it 

 must represent an immense period. Is it imaginable 

 that during this almost immeasurable time the boulder 

 bed forming the surface all the while became so little 

 disintegrated that it remained as fresh as it appears to- 

 day? I think not, and we must therefore assume that 

 the younger strata, mostly of permian age, were re- 

 moved by denudation. This at once raises another diffi- 

 culty — why was the denudation so energetic just near 

 Wynyard that it removed practically all traces of the 

 permian beds, and why was it not so eneregtic in other 

 parts of Tasmania? 



Presuming this strange phenomenon did take place ; 

 the younger strata disappeared and the surface of the 

 glacial drift was laid bare ; about that time a great sub- 

 sidence of land took place to the north of Wynyard ; the 

 pressure thus created broke the boulders and opened 

 fissures in the moraine which became subsequently filled 

 up with fossiliferous sand from above. There is no 

 doubt that this theory is a very fetching one, and it 

 would be possible to reconcile the palaeozoic age of the 

 moraine with the kainozoic age of the Turritella-sand- 

 stone. There is, however, one drawback ; so far I have 

 not seen a single instance where cracks of the kind re- 

 <juired were connected with the Turritella-sandstone. 



