DERIVED CONSTITUENTS IN THE GLACIAL SEDIMENTS OF THE VESTFOLD HILLS, EAST ANTARCTICA

Sediment derived from pre-existing marine deposits and weathered surfa ces is a common constituent of glacial drift in the Vestfold Hills, Ea st Antarctica. Ninety-seven samples of glacial drift were examined for marine macrofossils and weathered clasts, and 41 were examined for fo raminifera. Fragments or whole specimens of shells, worm tubes, sponge spicules and foraminifera were recovered from 25 samples. Clasts that exhibited evidence of subaerial weathering, such as tafoni and weathe ring rinds, were found in 53 samples. Derived sediment was found in 62 % of all samples. These data indicate that the last advance of ice der ived much of its sediment locally. The incorporation of marine fauna i n the glacial deposits makes the identification of in situ interglacia l sequences difficult.