GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



after ascending the granite and slate mountains of this 

 coastal range in latitude 83° 33', longitude 170° East, 

 reached 85° South at an altitude of 6000 ft. sedimentary 

 rocks were found to cap the ranges. They were disposed 

 in gently dipping or nearly horizontal strata, and extended 

 south-easterly to at least 86° South. 



At the Great Nunatak in latitude 85° South, longitude 

 165° East, the sandstone beds containing the seven seams 

 of coal dip in a north-easterly direction at an angle of 

 about 6° to 8°. There was no evidence there, nor as far 

 northwards as our explorations extended, that is, to 

 Mount Nansen, of any folding in the Beacon sandstone 

 formation. 



At Depot Island, to the north of Granite Harbour, 

 the ancient gneiss platform is there folded parallel with 

 the coast-line, but this structure appeared to be the 

 exception rather than the rule. 



The Beacon sandstone, for reasons already given, is 

 perhaps as old as palaeozoic, possibly older palasozoic. So, 

 if the above conclusions are correct, there has been no 

 appreciable folding in the part of Victoria Land examined 

 by us since palaeozoic time. 



The coast-line is, therefore, in our opinion, of the 

 Atlantic rather than of the Pacific type, and probably 

 owes its trend and position to a powerful fault or zone 

 of faults, with a down-throw to the east. The volcanoes 

 Mount Melbourne, Mount Erebus, Mount Discovery, 

 &c., are probably on this fracture, or zone of fractures. 

 If this view as to the Atlantic type of this part of the 

 coast is correct, what has become of the great Andean 

 folds developed on the west side of Graham Land? 



Possibly as Wilckens has suggested, west of Alexander 

 I Land the cordillera is submerged through faulting.* 



* Centralblatt fiir Min. Geol. und Pal., 1906, No. 6, p. 179. 

 Vol. II.-21 321 



