Guadalcanal's Thermal

Fault Line

DISTRICT Officer John Hunter, on his return from a patrol in the Guadalcanal bush this month, reported the discovery of a hot spring a few miles west of Gold Ridge.

The surrounding rocks were coated with iron oxides and other pre cipitated minerals and the water was extremely hot.

This is the eleventh thermal area to have been discovered on Guadal canal during the past two years, and of these, the two in the moun tain behind Visale Mission appear to be the hottest.

From here, in the extreme north west, the line of hot springs extends for 75 miles in a south-easterly direction across the Guadalcanal mountains to the other side at Avu Avu on the South coast.

This line marks a major structural weakness in the earth’s crust, and it is believed to have originated tens of millions of years ago.

It is believed that this thermal activity could be the key to the dis tribution of economic ore minerals on the island.

Geologists Visiting

Guadalcanal

Dr. Norman Fisher, Chief Geologist to the Australian Bureau

of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, arrived in Honiara by air on August 20 for a brief visit.

He was accompanied by Mr. J.

Thompson, Senior Geologist of Papua-New Guinea, Mr. J. Grover, Senior Geologist to the Solomon Islands Govenment, will accompany the visitors on

excursions into the Guadai bush and to adjacent islai Honiara Correspondent. t Mr. J. Palmer, lately of th Civil Aviation Administration been appointed salaries clerk,, Islands Administration, in cession to Mr. R. Clarke.