GANOVEX, the German Antarclic North Victoria Land Expedition, is the first German scientific expedition to venture onto the Antarctic mainland since Ritscher's "Schwabenland Expedition" of 1938/39 forty one years ago. GANOVEX was centered on North Victoria Land on the Ross Sea where geological investigations were carried out, some of which follow on directly from observations made by members of Scott's Expedition of 1911 - 13.

The main aim of GANOVEX was to study the petrography, geochemistry, tectonics and volcanic geology of the mobile belts bordering East Antarctica. The margins of the Precambrian shield and the Precambrian to Paleozoicfold-belts were studied, as well as their relationship to similar tectonic units in other southern continents. The characteristic features of each unit were worked out and incorporated into a cross section stretching from the East Antarctic Shield, across the Ross Orogen, to the "Borchgrevink Orogen".

Our investigations have enabled us to fill in some of the blank areas on the geological map of Antarctica.

This issue consists of a complete report on the research results achieved so far. It is accompanied by a geological map of North Victoria Land, as well as separate reports on logistics, radio communications and medical care in polar regions.