This paper reports and discusses the distribution, petrography and mineral chemistry of granule- to boulder-size clasts in the Early Pliocene to Quaternary sedimentary succession recovered by the CIROS-2 drill hole, located near the mouth of the Ferrar Glacier (McMurdo Sound). In the Pliocene interval (166.47-99.27 mbsf), Early Paleozoic basement granitoids (monzogranites and granodiorites) are most common, apart from the basal 13-m-thick diamictite unit, which is dominated by basalt clasts from the late Cenozoic McMurdo Volcanics. In the Pleistocene interval (99.27-0 mbsf) basement granitoids are also the most common, but are largely tonalities. Gabbros and dolerites of the Jurassic Ferrar Supergroup are a minor persistent component throughout the core. In contrast, basement metamorphic rocks and Beacon Supergroup sandstones are present only within the lowest part of the core, the former disappearing above ca. 70.20 mbsf, and the latter above ca. 99.30 mbsf. During Pliocene time, the clast assemblage is consistent with the main source of the detritus from basement rocks to the west, transported by an ancestral Ferrar Glacier through the Transantarctic Mountains, the basal basalts suggesting an invasion of Ross Sea ice into Ferrar Fjord from the south (in the area of Mount Discovery and Mount Morning volcanoes). The dominance of tonalite in Pleistocene clasts also suggests derivation from the coastal Blue Glacier area immediately to the south. The decrease in volcanic clasts from Late Pliocene time may relate to the final construction of the Mount Morning-Mount Discovery peninsula, which acted as a barrier to the northern movement of a grounded Ross Ice Shelf, whereas the appearance of the tonalite clasts suggests periods of ice flow from its present day provenance, the Blue Glacier-Miers Valley area, northward along the coast and then into Ferrar Fjord from the east. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sandroni, S., Talarico, F.M. (2006). Analysis of clast lithologies from CIROS-2 core, New Harbour, Antarctica - implications for ice flow directions during Plio-Pleistocene. PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY, 231(1-2), 215-232 [10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.07.031].

Analysis of clast lithologies from CIROS-2 core, New Harbour, Antarctica - implications for ice flow directions during Plio-Pleistocene

SANDRONI, S.;TALARICO, F. M.
2006-01-01

Abstract

This paper reports and discusses the distribution, petrography and mineral chemistry of granule- to boulder-size clasts in the Early Pliocene to Quaternary sedimentary succession recovered by the CIROS-2 drill hole, located near the mouth of the Ferrar Glacier (McMurdo Sound). In the Pliocene interval (166.47-99.27 mbsf), Early Paleozoic basement granitoids (monzogranites and granodiorites) are most common, apart from the basal 13-m-thick diamictite unit, which is dominated by basalt clasts from the late Cenozoic McMurdo Volcanics. In the Pleistocene interval (99.27-0 mbsf) basement granitoids are also the most common, but are largely tonalities. Gabbros and dolerites of the Jurassic Ferrar Supergroup are a minor persistent component throughout the core. In contrast, basement metamorphic rocks and Beacon Supergroup sandstones are present only within the lowest part of the core, the former disappearing above ca. 70.20 mbsf, and the latter above ca. 99.30 mbsf. During Pliocene time, the clast assemblage is consistent with the main source of the detritus from basement rocks to the west, transported by an ancestral Ferrar Glacier through the Transantarctic Mountains, the basal basalts suggesting an invasion of Ross Sea ice into Ferrar Fjord from the south (in the area of Mount Discovery and Mount Morning volcanoes). The dominance of tonalite in Pleistocene clasts also suggests derivation from the coastal Blue Glacier area immediately to the south. The decrease in volcanic clasts from Late Pliocene time may relate to the final construction of the Mount Morning-Mount Discovery peninsula, which acted as a barrier to the northern movement of a grounded Ross Ice Shelf, whereas the appearance of the tonalite clasts suggests periods of ice flow from its present day provenance, the Blue Glacier-Miers Valley area, northward along the coast and then into Ferrar Fjord from the east. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
2006
Sandroni, S., Talarico, F.M. (2006). Analysis of clast lithologies from CIROS-2 core, New Harbour, Antarctica - implications for ice flow directions during Plio-Pleistocene. PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY, 231(1-2), 215-232 [10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.07.031].
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Sandroni_Talarico_CIROS_clasts.pdf

non disponibili

Tipologia: Post-print
Licenza: NON PUBBLICO - Accesso privato/ristretto
Dimensione 1.41 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.41 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11365/8329
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo