Field observations made during the 2004-2005 field season, using such features as sill steps, sill bridges, orientated phenocrysts and asymmetric structures to determine regional magma flow directions in the Theron Mountains. A full photographic record of the cliffs was made at a transit of 1km out from the cliffs.

The collection consists of over 1 tonne of rock samples from the Theron Mountains, with an emphasis on the mainline of the enscarpment, which was reached by climbing the scree slopes at the base of the cliffs or by traversing the skyline, during the 2004/2005 field season.

Laboratory AMS (Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility) measurements made on a collection of sill samples collected from the Theron Mountains, Antarctica, during the 2004-2005 field season. AMS involves the collection of some 1 metric tonne of oriented samples and the lab-based determination of the magmatic flow fabric of the rock. Models concerning the location of mantle plumes and triple junctions associated with the Mesozoic break-up of Gondwana in the Antarctic-southern Africa sector are not capable of independent testing, other than by geochemical and age dating methods. We determined the regional flow directions of the magmas in dyke and sill complexes in the areas of postulated plume heads and related triple points on the opposing conjugate margins. AMS was utilised to determine magmatic flow directions and constrain these with macroscopic observations of flow indicators.

To provide further stratigraphic resolution through the Gustav Group a key section through the Kotick Point, Whisky Bay and Hidden Lake formations, adjacent to Brandy Bay on northern James Ross Island was re-measured and sampled for both Sr isotope stratigraphy and palynostratigraphy. In total, a sedimentary succession about 1600m thick, that encompasses the initial three stages of the Upper Cretaceous period, was measured and a suite of invertebrate macrofossils, palynology samples, palaeobotanical and general lithological samples were collected along the lines of measured samples.

To obtain a global view of climate change, the climatic and evolutionary history of the Southern Hemisphere needs to be integrated into the picture, and an integration of high-latitude change is particularly important. To assist this integration, we applied the methods of palynology and Sr isotope stratigraphy to confirm and refine the numerical ages of the sedimentary succession within the Antarctic Peninsula. We were able to establish a precise chronology using strontium isotope stratigraphy. Various calcitic and aragonitic fossil shells collected from these strata proved to be exceptionally well preserved and strontium isotope ratios obtained from them have provided some of the most accurate ages yet obtained for Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the Southern Hemisphere. Revision of the age of the succession dramatically changed the accepted ages, by half a Stage, from Barremian-to-Santonian to Aptian-to-Coniacian.

Data comprise the collection label details of museums specimens for five bumblebee species (Bombus hortorum, B. muscorum, B. lapidarius, B. pascuorum and B. sylvarum) from five UK museums (Natural History Museum (London), National Museums Scotland, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, and World Museum (Liverpool)). The details include species, collector, date collected, location, and caste. The location for each specimen was geotagged using Google Maps’ Geocoding application programming interface. Each specimen had its left and right forewing landmarked, with the wing shapes aligned using a Procrustes alignment, and Procrustes distance between the wings calculated. The data came from a digitisation program as part of a NERC funded Standard Grant awarded to R. Gill (NE/P012574/1) and I. Barnes (NE/P012914/1). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/2696535e-564a-4c6a-877e-515996fa97a1