Tephra and debris layers in the skelton neve and kempe glacier, south victoria land, antarctica

Abstract

Basanite tephra layers have been found in glacier ice at several places on the Skelton Névé and Kempe Glacier, South Victoria Land. They are coarse to fine moderately well to poorly sorted, mainly essential vitric to vitric crystal ash. similar to that produced in strombolian (or hawaiian) eruptions. They were probably erupted from a cinder cone or cones located between the Koettlitz Glacier and the Royal Society Range. Grain size analysis of the ice enclosing the tephras suggests that deposition occurred between 1000 and 10000 years ago. Other dirt layers in these areas are composed of local rock material such as dolerite and Beacon Supergroup debris. They sometimes contain tephra as well. Such layers were formed after wind deposition. © 1977 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.