Upper Paleozoic Glacial Deposits of South Africa and Southern Australia

Research Article| June 01, 1967 Upper Paleozoic Glacial Deposits of South Africa and Southern Australia WARREN HAMILTON; WARREN HAMILTON U. S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar DAVID KRINSLEY DAVID KRINSLEY Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information WARREN HAMILTON U. S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225 DAVID KRINSLEY Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367 Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 10 Jan 1966 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Copyright © 1967, The Geological Society of America, Inc. Copyright is not claimed on any material prepared by U.S. government employees within the scope of their employment. GSA Bulletin (1967) 78 (6): 783–800. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1967)78[783:UPGDOS]2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 10 Jan 1966 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation WARREN HAMILTON, DAVID KRINSLEY; Upper Paleozoic Glacial Deposits of South Africa and Southern Australia. GSA Bulletin 1967;; 78 (6): 783–800. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1967)78[783:UPGDOS]2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Glacial deposits of Late Carboniferous and Early Permian age have long been recognized throughout broad areas of the "Gondwana" continental masses. This paper describes some of these deposits in South Africa and southern Australia, and summarizes information from the literature on deposits of these and other regions.The following features in combination are widespread in the Paleozoic deposits and prove continental glaciation: polished and striated pavements and roches moutonnées; massive, nonsorted debris (tillite) containing abundant clay-free rock flour, abundant fresh grains of easily weathered minerals, and stones including faceted and striated blocks from both local and distant sources; and laminated, fine-grained sediments enclosing numerous drop-stones.Electron-microscopy studies have shown that surface textures of sand grains in modern sediments vary diagnostically from one environement to another. The large suite of surface textures that uniquely characterizes Quaternary glacial grains also characterizes Paleozoic ones. X-ray study shows that the clay-sized fraction of unweathered tillites and glacial shales is largely devoid of clay.Most of the well-dated Gondwana glacial deposits are of very Early Permian age. At least local glaciation occurred during the Late Carboniferous and also during the later Early Permian. Glacial stages alternated with interglacial ones.The continental glaciers of even the now-tropical Gondwana continents reached sea level for marine deposits occur with glacial drift. Ice sheets bearing continental-shield debris flowed onto each continent from the direction of present oceans. The distribution of warm-climate Early Permian deposits is as aberrant as that of glacial deposits; red beds, evaporites, thick biochemical limestones, diverse-fauna coral bioherms, and large foraminifera occur, for example, in the northernmost lands of the Atlantic sector of the Arctic. Only continental drift offers a rational solution to the problems of distribution of paleoclimatic indicators. All the glaciated lands lay in latitudes between 45° and 90° S. in the since-fragmented continent of Gondwanaland.Long-lasting sedimentary basins were produced by permanent changes in crust and mantle configuration resulting from glacial loading. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.