Grove Mountains （GRV） 024237： A new ureilite from Antarctica

Ureilites share the characteristics of differentiated meteorites and of primary chondrites. GRV 024237 is a ureilite, which was found in the 19th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition （CHINARE）, at the No. 4 moraine, Grove Moun- tains, Antarctica. GRV 024237 consists mainly of coarse-grained olivine （60 vol%）, pigeonite （30 vol%） and opaque minerals （10 vol% ）. Tri-junction texture between olivine and pigeonite is common. Carbonaceous materials with minor amounts of troilite and nickel-iron metal were observed as interstitial phases. The Fa value of olivine composition varies from 6.2 to 16.8 from rim to core, but pyroxene is homogeneous in composition, with Fs 14.0 to 15.5. Both olivine and pyroxene have normal extinctions. Net-like iron or limonite veins filled in the fractures of olivine and pyroxene, and no diamond was observed. Based on petrographic and mineralogical features, GRV 024237 is a Type I and Group 2 monomict ureilite.     

Evidence for warmer event from quartz grains in the soil of Grove Mountains, East Antarctica

The cold desert soll has been discovered at first time in southern ridge of Mount Harding, Grove Mountains of interior East Antarctica Ice Sheet. Based on the micro structural observation, dominant characteristics of quartz grains include： distinct surface stria and fractures, and clean features of frost action at both of crystal margins and micro crannies of quartz grains. These features show a pedogenesis environment of few water, short transportation and frost action, revealing a warmer climatic event existed in this re, on.     

Preliminary study on the spore-pollen assemblages found in the Cenozoic sedimentary rocks in Grove Mountains, east Antarctica and its climatic implications

Glaciogene sedimentary rocks have been found in modem tills of the Grove Mountains, east Antarctica during the 1998 - 1999 Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition （CHNARE）. Based on the lithilogic and sedimentary features, these sedimentary rocks are correlated with Cenozoic sedimentary strata of the Pagodroma Group in the neighboring Prince Charles Mountains and the Sorsdal Formation in VestFold Hills. Sedimentary clasts contain sparsely Late Tertiary spores and pollens, including ： Toroisporis （ Lygodiaceae）, Osmunda, Granulatisporites （ Pteridaceae？） , Polypodiaceae, Podocarpus , Araucariaceae, Artemisia , Rhus , Nothofagidites , Proteacidites （Proteaceae） , Quercus , Fraxinoipollenites （ Oleaceae ） , Oleoidearumpollenites（ Oleaceae ）, Operculumpollis, and Tricolpopollenites. Most of the pollen and spores contained in these samples originate from local sources according to the conditions of their preservations as well as correlations with the microfossil assemblages found in the neighboring areas. The majority of the pollen assemblages, as represented by Podocarpus and Nothofagus, belong to the Weddellian biogeocenose, however some exotic components from the old sedimentary basement rocks may have been included during erosion of the proximal ice sheet. If the source areas of glaciogenic sedimentary rocks that bear the pollen and spores are assumed to be local, or in the up glacier areas, the pollen assemblages in these samples might represent an inland flora during a warmer period of the ice-sheet evolutionary history. The finding of the Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae in the pollen assemblages implies that they may belong to late Tertiary （most probably Pliocene）. The absence of diatoms in the samples analyzed may indicate that there are no Cenozoic marine strata in the interior of the east Antarctica beyond the Grove Mountains. The significances of the finding of the Nothofagus in these pollen assemblages are discussed on the basis of current knowledge about the age, distribution and ecological conditions of this kind of fossils found in Sirius Group or other strata outcropped in Antarctica. As a preliminary conclusion, we think that the existence of the Cenozoic glaciogenenic rocks and their pollen assemblages present new evidence for a large scale glacial retreat history in Grove Mountains of east Antarctica, and thus support a dynamic East Antarctic Ice Sheet （EAIS）. This is consistent with the interpretations of Webb et al. （1984）.     

Temporal and spatial variations of atmospheric methane concentration and δ^13 C-CH4 near the surface on the Millor Peninsula, East Antarctica

During the 22nd Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition(CHINARE-22,2005/06),the atmospheric gas samples near the surface were taken on the Millor Peninsula and adjacent areas,east Antarctica,using Tedlar gas bags.The methane(CH4) concentration and δ13C-CH4 in those samples were analyzed in the laboratory.The average value of atmospheric CH4 concentration on this peninsula was(1.87±0.12)×10-6,slightly higher than the global average CH4 concentration.The summertime variation of CH4 concentrations showed a large...     

Classification of Grove Mountains meteorites and its significance

Meteorites are the extraterrestrial rocks, which provide insights into the origin and evolution of the solar system. During the past half century, a great number of meteorites has been discovered on the Antarctic Ice Sheet, confirming that the Antarctica is the most important meteorite concentration area on the earth. Since the first four Antarctic meteorites were found in Grove Mountains in 1998, a total of 9834 meteorites have been collected by four subsequent expeditions. It opens a new field of meteorite study in China, and also accumulates a great deal of scientific samples for China. Recently, classification of Grove Mountains meteorites has been carried out for 6 years, and made following progresses: (1) 2433 meteorites, which include many special meteorites, e.g. Martian meteorites, ureilites and carbonaceous chondrites, have been classified. (2) the Antarctic meteorite curation and the sample sharing system are set up preliminarily. (3) the classification procedure, the management of meteorite samples, and the application procedure for the Antarctic meteorites are completed after the systematic classification during these years. (4) young generation researchers on meteorite are trained through the cooperation of many universities and institutes on meteorite classification.     

The establishment of GPS network in Grove Mountains, East Antarctica

1 Introduction The Grove Mountains is located at Princess Elizabeth land in East Antarctica, about 400 km from Zhongshan station and 160 km east of the Mawson Escarpment, consists of a scattered group of mountains and nunataks. The range extends73°-76°E…     

Preliminary study on the erratic exposure ages of Grove Mountains, East Antarctica

The first study of erratic boulder exposure ages in the Grove Mountains,interior Antarctica,indicates the two erratic boulders(060131-1 and 060131-2,collected from a typical nunataks,Zakharoff Ridge in the Grove Mountains) have 10Be minimum exposure ages of 1.24±0.11 Ma,1.37±0.12 Ma,and 26Al ages of 0.90±0.12 Ma,0.44±0.04 Ma,respectively.Meanwhile,another erratic boulder sample 060131-4,coming from vicinal ice surface,has 10Be and 26Al minimum exposure ages of 0.47±0.3 Ma and 0.44±0.04 Ma,respectively.The e...     

Shock metamorphism of ordinary chondrites from Grove Mountains, Antarctica

Shock effects of 93 Grove Mountains (GRV) ordinary chondrites were studied in this work, including fracture, various types of extinction, and recrystallization of silicates observed under optical microscopy. Shock-induced veins and pockets show various microtextures, decomposition and phase transformation of minerals. The confirmed high-pressure polymorphs of silicates are ringwoodite, majorite, pyroxene glass and maskelynite. Based on the shock effects and assemblages of high-pressure minerals, shock stages of all of 93 GRV chondrites were classified. In comparison with literature, the Grove Mountains meteorites have a higher fraction (23 out of 93) of heavily shocked samples (S4-S5). Most of the heavily shocked meteorites are L group (22 out of 23), except for one H chondrite. The distinct shock metamorphism between H and L groups may indicate different surface properties of their parent bodies. In addition, there is relationship between petrologic types and shock stages, with most heavily shocked samples observed in equilibrated ordinary chondrites (especially Type 5 and 6).     

GPR Surveying in the kernel area of Grove Mountains,Antarctica

The Grove Mountains, located between the Zhongshan Station and Dome A, are a very important area in inland Antarctic research. China has organized five investigations of the Grove Mountains, encompassing the geological structure, ancient climate, meteorites, ice-movement monitoring, basic mapping, meteorological observations, and other multi-disciplinary observational studies. During the 26th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition in 2010, the Grove Mountains investigation team applied specialized ground-penetrating radar(GPR) to survey subglacial topography in the eastern kernel area of the Grove Mountains. In this paper, we processed GPS and GPR data gathered in the field and drew, for the first time, two subglacial topographic maps of the Grove Mountains kernel area using professional graphics software. The preliminary results reveal the mystery of the nunatak landform of this area, give an exploratory sense of the real bedrock landforms, and indicate a possible sedimentary basin under the Pliocene epoch fossil ice in the Grove Mountains area. Additionally, it has been proven from cross-sectional analysis between Mount Harding and the Zakharoff ridge that the box-valley shape between two nunataks has already matured. ′     

Meteorites from Grove Mountains, Antarctica:An overview

Thirty-two meteorites were collected in Grove Mountains area, Antarctica, by the 15th and 16th Chinese Antarctic Research Expeditions (CHINARE). Petrography and mineral chemistry of these meteorites are reviewed, among which there are one Martian lherzolite, one eucrite, one ungrouped iron meteorite, and six unequili-brated and twenty-three equilibrated ordinary chondrites. An equilibrated ordinary chondrite GRV 98004 ( H5 ) has an unusually low cosmic-ray exposure age. Meteorite concentrating processes in Grove Mountains area are discussed. In addition, future studies on Grove Mountains (GRV) meteorites are proposed.     

Summer weather characteristics on the Grove Mountain of East Antarctica

The summer weather characteristics of the Grove Mountain, East Antarctica, are presented based on the data obtained by Chinese National Antarctic Expedition (CHINARE) in January 1999. The result shows that the pattern of daily variation of temperature and the prevailing wind direction in Grove is similar to that of Zhongshan Station. However, the daily range of temperature and strong wind frequency are much higher than those of Zhongshan Station. The change of wind direction is close to the weather system that impacted the Grove Mountain. The warm and wet air from northern parts often causes the precipitation. The clear weather appears when controlled by eastern winds in January.     

南极Grove山自然保护区信息系统的设计与实现

位于东南极Grove山地区的天然地质和独特地貌有助于解决许多重大的科学问题.为了保护该地区特殊的科学价值、美学价值和荒野价值,中国提出了建立南极Grove山自然保护区的设想,如何有效管理该地区的信息资源,为保护区的设立和管理提供决策支持成了一个急需解决的问题.本文介绍了南极自然保护区的研究现状,分析了南极Grove山自然保护信息系统数据特点,以及功能和性能需求,设计了双重模式(C/S模式和B/S模式)三层体系框架(数据层、应用层和表现层)的南极Grove山自然保护区信息系统,在此基础上,采用组件式GIS和Web GIS技术实现了原型系统,从而为Grove山空间数据和专题数据的有效管理,以及自然保护区的决策支持管理,提供了保护区信息交流与共享的平台.