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SCAR Bulletin No 134, July 1999

Working Group on Geology

1. Attendance

The meeting was not well attended with only thirteen representatives present.

2. Election of new Chief Officer (CO)

M R A Thomson (UK) had stood down at XXIV SCAR, Cambridge but had returned as temporary CO when the new incumbent had moved unexpectedly out of Antarctic research.

R A J Trouw (Brazil ) was elected secretary (CO) from the closure of XXV SCAR; H Miller (Germany) agreed to assist the new CO.

3. National reports

Members had circulated national reports in advance of the meeting.

The verbal reports indicated that there was a good level of international cooperation in many areas of Antarctic geological investigation but two areas of potential duplication were highlighted: two multinational groups indicated that they were proposing to investigate the recent volcanicity of Bransfield Strait and its possible connection with basin extension, and two countries expressed an intention to study Ross age structures in the Pensacola Mountains during the coming season. Several nations identified a focus on projects related to supercontinent accretion, and considerable activity related to glacial history was also apparent.

Notable constraints on future geological programmes were:

Opportunities included:

In conclusion, it was suggested that reports of future activities are real value in planning, and should be made yearly, rather than every two years. Members agreed to circulate reports with a forward plan of at least two years, by the end of August every year.

4. Geological initiatives and future directions

The list of Key Science Issues for the geological sciences in Antarctica, prepared at XXIV SCAR, was reviewed in detail and the importance of these issues was reaffirmed.

The importance of Antarctica within the whole global tectonic framework was also stressed. A further topic - Antarctic Neotectonics (ANTEC) - was discussed extensively on several occasions. The science is already under way but the need for a Group of Specialists to promote and co-ordinate activities was identified. The item is reported more fully in the Summary Minutes of the joint Working Groups of Geology and Solid-Earth Geophysics.

At XXIV SCAR, a strong argument had been made for the continuation of the ANTOSTRAT initiative in order to promote drilling for glacial history around the Antarctic margin and to oversee the Seismic Data Library System (SDLS). The group met in conjunction with the ANTIME meeting in Hobart in 1997 and prepared a proposal and list of objectives for a Subcommittee on Late Phanerozoic Glacial History which were discussed extensively in the WG-Geology and also jointly with WG-Solid-Earth Geophysics (WG-SEG).

5. Workshops and symposia

H Miller gave a brief report on the SCAR Antarctic Geodesy Symposium (AGS 98) held in Santiago during the week preceding the Working Group meetings. He outlined some of the exciting possibilities that were available for making "absolute" measurements of crustal movement, but stressed that a critical point for the geoscientists was to appreciate the difference between short-term measurements provided by geodetic techniques, and crustal movements on a geological time-scale.

In past years, members had considered a number of proposals for field workshops in Antarctica. These had been endorsed by SCAR, but none had so far taken place because of difficulties in providing the necessary logistics. It was agreed that there was no point in seeking SCAR endorsement in future, unless there was a high probability for the provision of the appropriate level of logistic support by an identified country or countries.

One such proposal had been for a field workshop on the Geology of Dronning Maud Land; it had been replaced by a joint field project between South Africa, Germany and Scandinavia. Members were informed that a special workshop on DML was being planned in conjunction with VIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences in Wellington, 1999.

Members discussed the importance for all Antarctic geoscientists to integrate their science into the global context, and to promote their work in all possible ways. They resolved to encourage all members of the Antarctic geoscience community to present their findings in non-Antarctic meetings and publications wherever the possibility presented itself. Accordingly, R A J Trouw informed Members that Brazil was keen to ensure an Antarctic content in the International Geological Congress (IGC), Rio de Janeiro, 2000 - after all, SCAR is an identified sponsor of the congress. Members agreed to support the inclusion of a "symposium", entitled Active Continental Margins in Antarctica, which would lie within a group of symposia under the umbrella of Global Tectonic Zones; they also encouraged Antarctic geoscientists to present their work in as many other of the planned IGC symposia as possible. They also expressed their support for the proposal to include within IGC, a special field trip (Sft01), Elements of the active margin of Gondwana: accretionary wedge, magmatic arc and pre-arc basement in the Antarctic Peninsula region.

Other opportunities included:

6. Sampling protocol

D H Elliot (USA) introduced the Antarctic geological sample database for the USA, being set up at Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio. The framework design is complete and trial samples have been used to check the system. The database has been designed for ease of use and can be searched using a wide range of criteria. Those interested in finding out more may access the database through the web at: www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu and by selecting "rock repository" on the left hand column.

7. Geoscience map catalogue

At XXIII SCAR in Rome, Members resolved to prepare a database of geoscientific maps of Antarctica. UK undertook to complete the task and the CO reported progress as follows: The database had been set up using Microsoft Access 97, and 60 trial entries had been made. The database is compatible with ArcView and Oracle and will be made available on the Web via the British Antarctic Survey home page. The main task now was data entry and a useful product should be available within 12 months.

8. Shape of future meetings

Some progress had already been made in creating "space" within meetings by circulating national reports electronically, but more could be done so that a mature document would be available for consideration at the meeting. The time freed would be used for one day of scientific presentations on some suitable theme or themes.

9. Field excursion

On Wednesday 23 July Members of the WG, along with colleagues from WG-SEG enjoyed an excellent field excursion to Isla Quiriquina, organised by F Hervé and lead by Dr Guillermo Alfaro and Marcello Lepe of the Universidad de Concepción.

10. Recommendations

Members agreed that Recommendation SCAR XXIV-6 Concerning geological maps of protected areas should continue.

They also asked that every effort should be made by National Committees to include geological maps in existing management plans whenever such plans were updated or reprinted. Proper mapping of surficial deposits is a particularly important prerequisite where the passage of persons or vehicles may be high.

11. Next Meetings

Members resolved to hold a short formal meeting in conjunction with VIII ISAES, Wellington, July 1999, and to meet at XXVI SCAR.