High-resolution marine sonar swath mapping, covering an area of ca. 33 km2 in the vicinity of the Windmill Islands (67° S, 110° E), Wilkes Land, east Antarctica, permits visualisation and description of the near-shore geomorphology of the seafloor environment in unprecedented detail and provides invaluable insight into the ice-sheet history of the region. Mesoproterozoic metamorphic basement exhibits prominent sets of parallel northwest-trending linear fault sets that probably formed during fragmentation of eastern Gondwana during the Mesozoic. The fault systems appear to control regional coastal physiographic features and have, in places, been preferentially eroded and exploited by subsequent glacial activity. Possibly the earliest formed glacially-derived geomorphological elements are networks of sub-glacial meltwater channels which are preserved on bedrock platforms and ridges. Subtle glacial lineations and streamlined landforms record evidence of the westward expansion of the grounded, Law Dome ice sheet margin, probably during the late Pleistocene Last Glacial Maximum, the direction of which coincides with glacial striae on onshore crystalline bedrock outcrops. The most striking glacial geomorphological features are sets of arcuate ridges confined mostly within glacially excavated `U-shaped valleys, exploiting and developed along bedrock fault sets. These ridge sets are interpreted as `push moraines or grounding zone features, formed during episodic retreat of highly channelised, topographically controlled ice-streams following ice surging, possibly in response to local environmental forcing during the mid-late Holocene. Minor post-glacial marine sedimentation is preserved in several small (1 km2) `isolated marine basins with shallow seaward sills.

A well-preserved Late Triassic palynoflora from the upper Flagstone Bench Formation, Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica, contains taxa that are also widely distributed in coeval Tethyan Laurasian assemblages. The most common and distinctive of these elements in the present assemblage are: Enzonalasporites vigens, E. densus, cf. Ellipsovelatisporites sp., Minutosaccus crenulatus, cf. Rimaesporites aquilonalis, Ovalipollis ovalis, Samaropollenites speciosus, and Duplicisporites scurrilis. The assemblage is assigned to the Australian Minutosaccus crenulatus Zone, and considered to be of Norian age. Gondwanan palynofloras containing these Laurasian elements are assigned to the Onslow Microflora, which is represented by Middle and Late Triassic palynomorph assemblages from Madagascar, western and northern Australia, East Africa, and Peninsular India. Occurrences of the Onslow Microflora appear to be confined to sediments deposited in palaeolatitudes between about 40o-30oS. As well as climatic controls, we suggest that other factors influenced the distribution of the parent floral communities. In particular, availability of migration pathways along Tethyan coastal plains, that were exposed during periods of sealevel regression, was an important factor controlling the rapid dispersal of certain Triassic plants. Marine influence on the present assemblage is evident by the rare spinose acritarchs, and one specimen of a dinocyst of the Shublikodinium-Rhaetogonyaulax plexus; this is the first record of a Triassic dinocyst from Antarctica.

Highly magnesian (mg about 98) granulites, containing sapphirine, enstatite, spinel, phlogopite, and cordierite, occur as xenoliths in Precambrian orthopyroxene-bearing granitic rocks at Mawson and Gage Ridge, East Antarctica. At Mawson, a marginal reaction zone is considerably enriched in Fe, K, and volatiles H2O and F, largely at the expense of Mg, with the development of sapphirine + phlogopite-rich assemblages. At gage ridge, marginal gain of Fe and to some extent Ca and Na, and loss of Mg are indicated, but there was no significant gain of K or H2O, possibly because very low P(H2O) did not allow crystallisation of phlogopite. (Auth.)

The Archaean cratonic block of the Vestfold Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land is one of only three well-documented examples in East Antarctica. It is characterised by tectonically interlayered tonalitic to granitiC orthogneisses (Mossel gneiss) and garnetiferous paragneisses (Chelnok supracrustal assemblage) as well as sub- ordinate units of predominantly mafic granulite (Tryne meta-volcanics). This sequence is cut by a second suite of orthogneisses (Crooked Lake gneiSS), ranging in composition from gabbro-diorite to tonalite and granite, which was emplaced synchronously with the last major phase of deformation. Cutting the gneisses are several suites of Proterozoic tholeiitic dykes, including a high-Mg suite, which range in age from about 2350 Ma to 1300 Ma. Most dykes are unmetamorphosed, but, in the southwestern part of the VestfoldHills, high-pressure garnet-bearing assemblages developed during a late Proterozoic (about 1100 Ma) thermal event. Granulite facies gneisses that crop out southwest of the Vestfold Block, along the coast of Prydz Bay, show the regional effect of this younger metamorphism and form part of an extensive late Proterozoic high-grade terrain, which makes up much of the East Antarctic Shield. Gneisses in the Rauer Group of Islands, within 30 km of the Vestfold Hills, are lithologically similar (predominantly orthogneisses) to those of the Vestfold Block, and contain metamorphosed relics of Vestfold dykes; however, they include only a minor component derived by remetamorphism of Archaean continental crustal rocks. In contrast, gneisses further to the southwest were mainly derived from aluminous sedimentary protoliths, and are quite different in composition to those of the Vestfold Block and Rauer Group. They do not appear to have been intruded by mafic dykes (mafic granulite is very rare) and apparently represent a Proterozoic cover sequence of similar age to metasedimentary sequences in MacRobertson Land. Intrusion of locally fayalite- bearing granitic rocks took place about 500 Ma ago.

Data from surveys along the East Antarctic margin will be presented to provide insights into the diversity and distribution of benthic communities on the continental shelf and slope, and their relationship to physical processes. Seabed video and still imagery collected from the George V shelf and slope and the sub-ice shelf environment of the Amery Ice Shelf indicate that the benthic communities in these regions are highly diverse, and are strongly associated with the physical environment. Variations in seafloor morphology, depth, sediment type and bottom circulation create distinct seabed habitats, such as muddy basins, rugged slope canyons and scoured sandy shelf banks, which are, in turn, inhabited by discrete seabed communities. The infauna dominated muddy basins contrast sharply with the diverse range of filter-feeding communities that occur in productive canyons and rugged inner shelf banks and channels. In the sub-ice shelf environment, differences in organic supply, linked to the circulation patterns, cause distinct differences in the seabed communities. The strong association between benthic communities and seafloor characteristics allows physical parameters to be used to extend our knowledge of the nature of benthic habitats into areas with little or no biological data. Comprehensive biological surveys of benthic communities in the East Antarctic region are sparse, while physical datasets for bathymetry, morphology and sediment composition are considerably more extensive. Physical data compiled within the proposed network of East Antarctic Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is used to aid our understanding of the nature of the benthic communities. The diversity of physical environments within the proposed MPAs suggests that they likely support a diverse range of benthic communities.

With improving accessibility to Antarctica, the need for proactive protection and management of sites of intrinsic scientific, historic, aesthetic or wilderness value is becoming increasingly important. Environmental protection and conservation practise in the Antarctic is globally unique and is managed by provisions contained within the Antarctic Treaty. Whilst these provisions have been primarily utilised to protect sites of biological or cultural significance, sites of geological or geomorphological significance may also be considered. However, in general, sites of geological and geomorphological significance are underrepresented in conservation globally, and, particularly, in Antarctica. Wider recognition of sites of geological significance in Antarctica can be achieved by development of a geo-conservation register, similar to geological themed inventories developed elsewhere in the world, to promote and recognise intrinsically valuable geological and geomorphological sites. Features on the register that are especially fragile, or otherwise likely to be disturbed, threatened or become vulnerable by human activity, can be identified as such and area management protocols for conservation, under the Antarctic Treaty, can be more readily invoked, developed and substantiated. Area management should mitigate casual souveniring, oversampling and accidental or deliberate damage caused by ill-advised construction or other human activity. The recognition of significant geological and geomorphological features within the Antarctic, and their protection, is identified under the current Australian Antarctic Science Strategic plan (under Stream 2.2; Vulnerability and spatial protection)

Russia and Australia have interacted in Antarctica ever since the discovery of the Antarctic continent in 1820. The Russian ships 'Vostok' and 'Mirny' after they have sighted Antarctica in January 1820 headed to Sydney to wait until the winter was over and stayed in Sydney harbour for a month. Russia, unlike Australia, does not have territorial claims in Antarctica. Notwithstanding with it, the scientific research undertaken by the Russian scientists within the Australian Antarctic Territory has been very extensive for decades. A number of the Russian Antartctic Expeditions have collected high quality marine geophysical data, including seismic data, in the coastal seas of that part of Antarctica. Russian and Australian scientists actively cooperate on interpretation of these geophysical data sets.

The Brattstrand Paragneiss, a highly deformed Neoproterozoic granulite-facies metasedimentary sequence, is cut by three generations of ~500 Ma pegmatite. The earliest recognizable pegmatite generation, synchronous with D2-3, forms irregular pods and veins up to a meter thick, which are either roughly concordant or crosscut S2 and S3 fabrics and are locally folded. Pegmatites of the second generation, D4, form planar, discordant veins up to 20-30 cm thick, whereas the youngest generation, post-D4, form discordant veins and pods. The D2-3 and D4 pegmatites are abyssal class (BBe subclass) characterized by tourmaline + quartz intergrowths and boralsilite (Al16B6Si2O37); the borosilicates prismatine, grandidierite, werdingite and dumortierite are locally present. In contrast, post-D4 pegmatites host tourmaline (no symplectite), beryl and primary muscovite and are assigned to the beryl subclass of the rare-element class. Spatial correlations between B-bearing pegmatites and B-rich units in the host Brattstrand Paragneiss are strongest for the D2-3 pegmatites and weakest for the post-D4 pegmatites, suggesting that D2-3 pegmatites may be closer to their source. Initial 87Sr/86Sr (at 500 Ma) is high and variable (0.7479-0.7870), while -Nd500 tends to be least evolved in the D2-3 pegmatites (-8.1 to -10.7) and most evolved in the post-D4 pegmatites (-11.8 to -13.0). Initial 206Pb/204Pb and 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios, measured in acid-leached alkali feldspar separates with low U/Pb and Th/Pb ratios, vary considerably (17.71-19.97, 15.67-15.91, 38.63-42.84), forming broadly linear arrays well above global Pb growth curves. The D2-3 pegmatites contain the most radiogenic Pb while the post-D4 pegmatites have the least radiogenic Pb; data for D4 pegmatites overlap with both groups. Broad positive correlations for Pb and Nd isotope ratios could reflect source rock compositions controlled two components. Component 1 (206Pb/204Pb-20, 208Pb/204-43, Nd -8) most likely represents old upper crust with high U/Pb and very high Th/Pb. Component 2 (206Pb/204Pb -18, 208Pb/204Pb~38.5, -Nd500 -12 to -14) has a distinctive high-207Pb/206Pb signature which evolved through dramatic lowering of U/Pb in crustal protoliths during the Neoproterozoic granulite-facies metamorphism. Component 1, represented in the locally-derived D2-3 pegmatites, could reside within the Brattstrand Paragneiss, which contains detrital zircons up to 2.1 Ga old and has a wide range of U/Pb and Th/Pb ratios. The Pb isotope signature of component 2, represented in the 'far-from-source' post-D4 pegmatites, resembles feldspar Pb isotope ratios in Cambrian granites intrusive into the Brattstrand Paragneiss. However, given their much higher 87Sr/86Sr, the post-D4 pegmatite melts are unlikely to be direct magmatic differentiates of the granites, although they may have broadly similar crustal sources. Correlation of structural timing with isotopic signatures, with a general sense of deeper sources in the younger pegmatite generations, may reflect cooling of the crust after Cambrian metamorphism.

This paper describes the youngest Late Cambrian trilobite assemblage so far discovered in the Mariner Group (Bowers Supergroup) northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. It occurs near the base of the Limestone Unit in the middle of the Eureka Formation, at Eureka Spurs, at the head of Mariner Glacier. The assemblage contains seven determined trilobite taxa: Homagnostus cf. ultraobesus Lermontova, 1940, Pseudagnostus (P.) ex gr. communis (Hall and Whitfield, 1877), Olentella cf. shidertensis Ivshin, 1956, Notoaphelaspis sp. undet., Apheloides? depressa sp. nov" Elviraspis? sp. undet., and Proceratopyge (P.) cf. liaotungensis Kobayashi and Ichikawa, 1955. This fauna is related to material previously described from Kazakhstan or southern Siberia, north China; Australia, and North America. Russian relationships appear to be dominant, but palaeogeographically difficult to explain. The present fauna is younger than that earlier described from the underlying Spurs Formation, which was considered to be late Idamean (late Dresbachian). The Eureka material is likely to be immediately post-Idamean (early Franconian), but its exact biochronological position is not yet finally established.

Video of the geo-heritage aspects of the rocks of Stornes Peninsula, Larsemann Hills