In situ cosmogenic exposure ages from the Isle of Skye,northwest Scotland: implications for the timing of deglaciation and readvance from 15 to 11 ka

We present 10 in situ cosmogenic exposure ages from two moraines on the Isle of Skye. The Strollamus medial moraine was deposited during deglaciation of the Devensian ice sheet and yields a mean exposure age from five samples of 14.3 ± 0.9 ka. The moraine age indicates that a significant ice mass existed on Skye at the time of a regional readvance recorded in Wester Ross, northwest Scotland. Taken at face value the ages suggest that deglaciation did not occur until well into Greenland Interstade 1. The Slapin moraine represents the local limit of the Loch Lomond Readvance (LLR) and yields a mean exposure age from five samples of 11.5 ± 0.7 ka, which is consistent with deposition relating to the LLR. These ages suggest that the maximum extent may have been reached late in the stadial and that some glaciers may have remained active until after the climatic amelioration that marks its end. This scenario is considered unlikely given the nature of the climate during this period, which leads us to call for a locally calibrated production rate. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Financial statement as at 31 December 1969

The Tasman Line, a much‐discussed concept in the geology and tectonics of eastern Australia, has a long and chequered history of interpretation. This extends to current debates regarding the age and position of the Tasman Line in Gondwana‐Rodinia reconstructions. We present constraints, from mapping, geochemistry and geophysics, on the interpretation of gravity and magnetic lineaments attributed to the Tasman Line in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. These pieces of evidence suggest a protracted and complex latest Neoproterozoic to Carboniferous geological history that produces a variety of geophysical responses, rather than a simple ‘Line’. We also find no evidence of Rodinian breakup age activity responsible for any of the anomalies. In light of these findings, our preference is that the Tasman Line concept be abandoned as misleading, especially with regard to models of Rodinia‐Gondwana breakup, which must have occurred elsewhere, possibly well to the east. Instead, the rocks preserved in the westernmost part of the Tasmanides are consistent with previously proposed ‘Southwest Pacific’‐style models for Neoproterozoic continental breakup, margin formation and reaccretion of continental fragments in the Early Palaeozoic.     

南极北维多利亚地难言岛闪长质岩石年代学、地球化学及地质意义SCIEI北大核心CSCD

东南极北维多利亚地沿威尔逊、鲍尔斯地体边缘发育广泛的花岗质岩浆作用。本文选取了罗斯造山带北维多利亚地难言岛古生代闪长质岩石开展了锆石U-Pb年代学、Sr-Nd-Hf同位素地质学及全岩地球化学研究,分析探讨其岩浆的源区特征和岩石成因。锆石U-Pb同位素定年结果显示,难言岛闪长质岩石形成于约500Ma,属于晚寒武世罗斯造山后岩浆活动产物。岩石地球化学特征显示的SiO_(2)含量变化范围为54.03%~60.10%,总碱值为5.92%~6.91%,里特曼指数σ为2.67~3.68,A/CNK值为0.77~0.85,属于高钾钙碱性、准铝质岩石。在正常洋中脊玄武岩标准化蛛网图中,样品富集大离子亲石元素(LILE),亏损Nb、Ta、Ti;在球粒陨石标准化稀土元素配分图中,难言岛闪长质岩石显示轻稀土相对富集,(La/Yb)N=12.99~14.60,Eu弱负异常(0.62~0.71)。样品的锆石εHf(t)值为-10.7~-6.3;(87 Sr/86 Sr)i范围0.7095~0.7097,(143 Nd/144 Nd)i范围0.511502~0.511629,εNd(t)范围-7.1~-10.3。结合前人资料,显示难言岛闪长质岩石来自于先前富集的陆下岩石圈地幔部分熔融,在罗斯汇聚的过程中被俯冲组分进一步交代。晚寒武世罗斯造山带处于后碰撞环境,熔融可能与后碰撞伸展环境下俯冲板块回卷、撕裂过程中软流圈上涌或其他减薄机制有关。     

<Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar dating of the eruptive history of Mount Erebus,Antarctica: volcano evolution

Mt. Erebus, a 3,794-meter-high active polygenetic stratovolcano, is composed of voluminous anorthoclase-phyric tephriphonolite and phonolite lavas overlying unknown volumes of poorly exposed, less differentiated lavas. The older basanite to phonotephrite lavas crop out on Fang Ridge, an eroded remnant of a proto-Erebus volcano and at other isolated locations on the flanks of the Mt. Erebus edifice. Anorthoclase feldspars in the phonolitic lavas are large (~10 cm), abundant (~30–40%) and contain numerous melt inclusions. Although excess argon is known to exist within the melt inclusions, rigorous sample preparation was used to remove the majority of the contaminant. Twenty-five sample sites were dated by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method (using 20 anorthoclase, 5 plagioclase and 9 groundmass concentrates) to examine the eruptive history of the volcano. Cape Barne, the oldest site, is 1,311±16 ka and represents the first of three stages of eruptive activity on the Mt. Erebus edifice. It shows a transition from sub-aqueous to sub-aerial volcanism that may mark the initiation of proto-Erebus eruptive activity. It is inferred that a further ~300 ky of basanitic/phonotephritic volcanism built a low, broad platform shield volcano. Cessation of the shield-building phase is marked by eruptions at Fang Ridge at ~1,000 ka. The termination of proto-Erebus eruptive activity is marked by the stratigraphically highest flow at Fang Ridge (758±20 ka). Younger lavas (~550–250 ka) on a modern-Erebus edifice are characterized by phonotephrites, tephriphonolites and trachytes. Plagioclase-phyric phonotephrite from coastal and flank flows yield ages between 531±38 and 368±18 ka. The initiation of anorthoclase tephriphonolite occurred in the southwest sector of the volcano at and around Turks Head (243±10 ka). A short pulse of effusive activity marked by crustal contamination occurred ~160 ka as indicated by at least two trachytic flows (157±6 and 166±10 ka). Most anorthoclase-phyric lavas, characteristic of Mt. Erebus, are less than 250 ka. All Mt. Erebus flows between about 250 and 90 ka are anorthoclase tephriphonolite in composition.Editorial responsibility: J. Donelly-Nolan     

The Ross orogeny of the transantarctic mountains: a northern Victoria Land perspective

Northern Victoria Land (Antarctica) is made up of three terranes of Cambrian–Ordovician rocks: the Wilson (WT), Bowers (BT) and Robertson Bay terranes (RBT). The WT comprises a low- to high-grade metasedimentary sequence intruded by calc-alkaline plutons with magmatic arc affinity; the BT is composed of low-grade metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks usually interpreted as an intra-oceanic arc; the RBT is a very low-grade flysch-like sequence. Terrane juxtaposition has traditionally been attributed to accretion during the Cambro-ordovician Ross orogeny. We propose a new model in which the WT, BT and RBT are interpreted as an arc/back-arc/trench system, developed in the context of a SW-dipping subduction zone. The subducting plate carried a continent originally located outboard of the turbidite fan of the RBT. Collision between this continent and the East Antarctic craton caused partial subduction of the intervening back-arc basin and, ultimately, the end of Ross-orogenic subduction. The turbidite fan of the RBT originally sedimented above the trench and on the subducting oceanic plate; due to collision it was thrusted on the continent, that constitutes, at least in part, the present basement of the RBT turbidite. The eastern portions of this continental mass were later dissected by the tensile tectonics related to the opening of the of the Southern Ocean.     

Holocene glacial history and sea-level changes on James Ross Island,Antarctic Peninsula

A reconstruction of deglaciation and associated sea-level changes on northern James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula, based on lithostratigraphical and geomorphological studies, shows that the initial deglaciation of presently ice-free areas occurred slightly before 7400 ¹⁴C yr BP. Sea-level in connection with the deglaciation was around 30 m a.s.l. A glacier readvance in Brandy Bay, of at least 7 km, with the initial 3 km over land, reached a position off the present coast at ca. 4600 yr BP. The culmination of the advance was of short duration, and by 4300 yr BP the coastal lowlands again were ice-free. A distinct marine level at 16–18 m a.s.l. was contemporaneous with or slightly post-dates the Brandy Bay advance, thus indicating the relative sea-level around 4600–4500 yr BP. Our results from James Ross Island confirm that over large areas in this part of Antarctica the last deglaciation occurred late. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

罗斯海西部末次冰盛期以来沉积环境重建:有机碳与生物标志化合物分析

本文研究采自位于南极罗斯海西部的ANT32-RB16C柱状沉积物,根据粒度、有机碳和生物标志化合物数据探讨末次冰盛期(24.8 ～20 ka BP)以来该地区有机质来源及沉积环境特征。该柱状样记录了冰架下沉积、冰架前沉积、开阔海域沉积的沉积环境。指示有机质来源的生物标志化合物指标表明该柱状样中所含有机质主要为浮游植物、细菌等海源输入,同时伴有少量陆源物质混合输入。末次冰盛期,由于冰架的影响有机质含量较低,环流影响使得有机质受低等浮游藻类生物等海源影响较大。末次冰消期(20～11.7 ka BP),罗斯冰架消退,冰川溶解释放的有机质在此沉积,使得陆源有机质输入增多,有机质含量升高。进入全新世,有机质含量较末次冰盛期和末次冰消期明显升高,海源输入比例增大,同时细菌等原核生物增多,导致短链正构烷烃降解程度较大。研究区的氧化还原环境主要受冰架与海冰限制作用的影响,与有机质含量和高氧的南极底层水关系不大。总体来说,从末次冰盛期到末次冰消期,研究区沉积环境受罗斯冰架进退影响,全新世以来受气候变化影响。     

南极罗斯海表层沉积物GDGTs含量 分布及其环境意义

通过分析罗斯海15个表层沉积物中甘油双烷基甘油四醚(Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraethers,GDGTs)的含量与分布,探讨了各种GDGTs来源及TEX₈₆指标的环境意义。结果表明:表层沉积物中GDGTs总含量为93.67~2 663.37 ng/g,其中类异戊二烯GDGTs(IsoGDGTs)占90.33%~98.56%,远高于支链GDGTs(BrGDGTs)。类异戊二烯GDGTs与支链GDGTs具有显著的耦合关系(R²=0.88,p<0.01)。沉积物中的IsoGDGTs主要来源于海洋奇古菌,BrGDGTs主要由海洋水体和沉积物中原位细菌所产生。应用TEX^L₈₆公式估算研究区SST,与WOA夏季表层温度呈现较好的线性关系,表明TEX^L₈₆指标在罗斯海具有适用性,可作为重建古海洋温度的替代指标。     

南极罗斯海域AUV海洋调查试验

在介绍罗斯海海洋环境概况的基础上,分析了AUV在南极罗斯海海洋调查试验,利用AUV调查数据分析了试验海域0~60m水体的温度、盐度、溶解氧、水质浊度等特征。调查数据表明:试验海域温度向下缓慢较小,盐度向下逐渐增加,溶解氧呈3段结构,水质浊度较低,验证了南极AUV调查方式具有较强的应用价值,数据分析结果具有一定的科学意义。