On the occurrence of fossil microspores, pollen grains, and microplankton in bottom sediments of the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Abstract

Palynomorphs from off‐shore glacial sediments provide information on the nature and age of strata buried beneath the Antarctic ice. Four mud samples, collected between 530 and 1,300 m, from widely separated areas of the Ross Sea floor contain palynomorphs of Lower Tertiary and Permo‐Triassic ages. The Lower Tertiary species, which include both marine and non‐marine taxa, can be correlated directly with similar forms occurring in Tertiary erratics in moraines in the McMurdo Sound region. This could indicate a widespread occurrence of Tertiary rocks beneath the Ross Sea, Ross Ice Shelf, and adjacent ice‐covered areas. The Permo‐Triassic species show considerable variation in degree of carbonisation. They do not include marine forms and have probably been derived, either directly or indirectly, from various horizons and facies of the Beacon Group.