| Mawson Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Toarcian ~ | |
 South Victoria Land, including the main outcrop of the Formation, the Carapace Nunantak, that is located at the NW in the land | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Ferrar Large Igneous Province |
| Sub-units | Carapace Sandstone Member[1] |
| Underlies | Kirkpatrick Basalt (In part) |
| Overlies | Lashly Formation |
| Area | 28.5 km² |
| Thickness | Up to 400 m |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Volcaniclastic mudstone |
| Other | Volcaniclastic gray & blue mudstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 76°54′S 159°24′E / 76.9°S 159.4°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 60°06′S 46°30′E / 60.1°S 46.5°E |
| Region | South Victoria Land |
| Country |  Antarctica |
| Extent | Unknown |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Mawson Peak |
| Named by | Ballance and Watters, 1971[2] |
  Mawson Formation (Antarctica) | |
The Mawson Formation is a geological formation in Antarctica, dating to roughly between 182 and 177 million years ago and covering the Toarcian stages of the Jurassic Period in the Mesozoic Era.[2][3] Vertebrate remains are known from the formation.[4] The Mawson Formation is the South Victoria Land equivalent of the Karoo Large Igneous Province in South Africa (including the upper Clarens Formation desertic interbeds), as well the Lonco Trapial Formation and the Cañadón Asfalto Formation of Argentina.[1] The Volcanic material was likely sourced from the Antarctic Peninsula´s Ellsworth Land Volcanic Group.[5]
- ^ a b Ross, P. S.; White, J. D.; McClintock, M. (2008). "Geological evolution of the Coombs–Allan Hills area, Ferrar large igneous province, Antarctica: Debris avalanches, mafic pyroclastic density currents, phreatocauldrons". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 172 (2): 38–60. Bibcode:2008JVGR..172...38R. doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2005.11.011. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ a b Ballance, P.F.; Watters, W.A. (1971). "The Mawson Diamictite and the Carapace Sandstone, formations of the Ferrar Group at Allan Hills and Carapace Nunatak, Victoria Land, Antarctica". N. Z. J. Geol. Geophys. 14 (3): 512–527. Bibcode:1971NZJGG..14..512B. doi:10.1080/00288306.1971.10421945.
- ^ Burgess, S.D.; Bowring, S.A.; Fleming, T.H.; Elliot, D.H. (2015). "High-precision geochronology links the Ferrar large igneous province with early Jurassic ocean anoxia and biotic crisis". Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 415 (1): 90–99. Bibcode:2015E&PSL.415...90B. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.01.037. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ Elliot, D.H. (2013). "The geological and tectonic evolution of the Transantarctic Mountains: a review". Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Publ. 381 (2): 7–35. Bibcode:2013GSLSP.381....7E. doi:10.1144/SP381.14. S2CID 129400231. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ Schöner, R.; Viereck-Goette, L.; Schneider, J.; Bomfleur, B. (2007). "Triassic-Jurassic sediments and multiple volcanic events in North Victoria Land, Antarctica: A revised stratigraphic model". Open-File Report. doi:10.3133/ofr20071047srp102. ISSN 2331-1258.