The fourth international symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences took place in Adelaide, South Australia during the week 16-20 August 1982. This volume contains a record of the centenary activities celebrating Sir Douglas Mawson and the one hundred and seventy-four papers that were presented by delegates for discussion over the five days. Sir Douglas Mawson was part of the first team to reach the magnetic South Pole, a leading geologist and scientific figure during the heroic age of of antarctic exploration. The papers presented during the symposium were divided into fifteen categories covering east and west Antarctica, marine, land and glacial geology, plate tectonics, islands, peninsulas, climatic change and Precambrian and Cenozoic era activity. The two hundred persons from sixteen countries who attended the symposium brought together a wide range of the most current expertise and research to share, of which this volume provides a record.

The Ross Orogen of the Transantarctic Mountains is the part of the orogenic system that formed at the Pacific continental margin of present-day Antarctica. According to a recent hypothesis, this continental margin was created by the rifting and subsequent drift of Laurentia from Gondwana. With an unparalleled breadth and depth of information, this book provides a detailed synthesis of the history of the Ross orogen. In doing so, it incorporates classical studies with discussions of the most recent and controversial research from the international community. The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography and a historical chronology of all expeditions that have worked on the Ross orogen in the Transantarctic Mountains, from the first sightings by Ross in 1840 right up to the present day. This review of the Ross orogen of the Transantarctic Mountains will be valuable to all geologists interested in these episodes in the Earth's history, and to researchers of the geology of Antarctica.

Presents information from the primary abiotic forces defining the system, and from the present hydrology, biogeochemistry and physics of major sites of organic carbon production of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Additionally, research on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the dry valley soils is included. The role of environmental management in long-term ecological studies is also addressed. The accompanying CDROM provides details and scale to visualize the McMurdo Dry Valleys from an ecosystem perspective.

Antarctic Paleobiology discusses the current status of paleobiology, principally paleobotany and palynology in Antarctica, and the interrelationship of Antarctic floras to those of other Gondwana continents. It provides a broad coverage of the major groups of plants on the one hand, while on the other seeking to evaluate the vegetational history and the physical and biological parameters that influence the distribution of floras through time and space. The biologic activity is discussed within a framework of the geologic history, including the tectonic and paleogeographic history of the region. Finally, the reader will find a comprehensive bibliography of Gondwana paleobotany and palynology.