The metamorphic geology of the Windmill Islands,Antarctica: A preliminary account

Rocks of the Windmill Islands, Antarctica (Lat. 66°S, Long. 110°E) consist of a layered sequence of schists, gneisses, and migmatites (the Windmill Metamorphics) intruded by a charnockite (the Ardery Charnockite) and a porphyritic granite (the Ford Granite), and cut by two swarms of easterly‐trending dolerite dykes.

The rocks have undergone four deformations. The first two produced tight isoclinal folds, the third developed broader less appressed concentric folds, and the last deformation produced gentle warps which plunge steeply southwards.

The metamorphic grade of the Windmill Metamorphics ranges from (i) upper amphibolite facies (sillimanite‐biotite‐orthoclase) in the north, through (ii) biotite‐cordierite‐almandine granulite to (iii) hornblende‐orthopyroxene‐granulite in the south. The boundary between (i) and (ii) above is marked by the incoming ortho‐pyroxene and also the outgoing of sphene, and that between (ii) and (iii) by the outgoing of cordierite. Other metamorphic variations, apparent in the field are (i), the southward colour change of biotite (sepia—>red‐brown) and hornblende (blue‐green—>brown‐green) and (ii) the greater abundance of migmatites and pegmatites in the north of the area.

Major‐element rock chemistry suggests that the pre‐metamorphic nature of the schists and gneisses probably consisted of acid and basic volcanics interbedded with sediments ranging from greywacke‐type sandstones to shales. Partial melting of these rocks is thought to have produced some of the more acidic gneisses of the area.

The abundances of the elements K, Rb, and Th are lower than those of terrains of similar grade elsewhere. This is regarded as reflecting original rock composition. The ratios K/Rb, Th/K, and K/(Rb/Sr), however, are comparable with those from similar terrains elsewhere where K, Rb, and Th enrichment by crustal fractionation has been suggested. This suggests that the Windmill Metamorphics were not derived by retrogression from upper granulite‐facies rocks.