Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01343:front:0:p17
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01343
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 43356–46354

this part of Antarctica.

The 'lower' moraine can extend up to 36 m above sea level and is dominated by local rocks. This feature may be a result of 'ice push' from the sea rather than a genuine glacial moraine. The boulders are more rounded and sorted to some extent into bands where grain size is more constant. This material shows some signs of having been water worn and includes some lithified beach sand with foraminifera and other organic remains.

Valleys and lakes are (with one exception) oriented parallel to the foliation of the basement rocks. The basement of the Cape Denison area consists mainly of partly migmatised, massive felsic orthogneiss intruded at about 2350 million years ago into an older metamorphosed sequence, originally of mudstone, perhaps Archaean in age. This entire sequence was intruded, probably at about 2350 million years ago, by mafic dykes which were metamorphosed at about the same time.

2.2.2 Cape Denison Flora and Fauna

From November, species breeding at or near the site include over 18 000 pairs of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), Wilson's storm petrels (Oceanites oceanicus), snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea) and the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki). Other species sighted in the area include the Cape petrel (Daption capense), Antarctic petrel (Thalassoica antarctica), southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) and emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) have been recorded as hauling out and, in the case of elephant seals, moulting at Cape Denison.

The only flora evident at the site are thirteen lichen species, identified by the AAE and BANZARE and distributed on boulders and other moraines, and non-marine algae associated with thirteen small glacial lakes, generally parallel to the foliation of the basement rocks and melt streams which flow in summer.

2.2.3 Cultural Features on Cape Denison

Godden Mackay Logan (2001) reported that Cape Denison provides evidence of human endeavour from all four phases of occupation: the original AAE expedition (January 1912 to December 1913), the overnight BANZARE visit to the site (January 1931), the short and sporadic visits by scientific parties (1950 - 1967) and finally the more planned and prolonged expeditions to the site, primarily for conservation, since 1974.

Known AAE fabric (1912-1913)
    •         Main Hut (intact with living section and workshop partially ice-filled, and verandahs 90% ice-filled)
    •         Magnetograph House (intact and ice-free)
    •         Absolute Magnetic Hut (standing ruin with no roof)
    •         Transit Hut (standing ruin with no roof)
    •         puff-anemometer pole (later known as BANZARE proclamation pole) on Anemometer Hill
    •         timber alignment posts for magnetic observations (east and west [below surface]); bench mark to the east of the Main Hut; eleven survey marks east of