Cenozoic marine sedimentation and ice-volume variation on the East Antarctic craton

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 1984 Cenozoic marine sedimentation and ice-volume variation on the East Antarctic craton P. N. Webb; P. N. Webb 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar D. M. Harwood; D. M. Harwood 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar B. C. McKelvey; B. C. McKelvey 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar J. H. Mercer; J. H. Mercer 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L D. Stott L D. Stott 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information P. N. Webb 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 D. M. Harwood 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 B. C. McKelvey 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 J. H. Mercer 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 L D. Stott 1Department of Geology and Mineralogy, and Institute of Polar Studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1984) 12 (5): 287–291. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1984)12<287:CMSAIV>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation P. N. Webb, D. M. Harwood, B. C. McKelvey, J. H. Mercer, L D. Stott; Cenozoic marine sedimentation and ice-volume variation on the East Antarctic craton. Geology 1984;; 12 (5): 287–291. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1984)12<287:CMSAIV>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Recycled Cretaceous and Cenozoic marine microfossils have been recovered from samples of the Pliocene Sinus Formation. Samples were collected from outcrops in the Reedy, Beardmore, and Ferrar glacier areas of the Transantarctic Mountains between lat 77° and 86°S. The glaciogene sediments contained diatoms, foraminifera, calcareous nannoplankton, silicoflagellates, radiolarians, sponge spicules, palynomorphs, and ostracodes of Late Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene, late Oligocene, late Miocene, and Pliocene age. This suggests the presence of open marine basins on the East Antarctic craton during late Mesozoic and Cenozoic time. The apparent absence of early Oligocene and early through middle and earliest late Miocene assemblages suggests either that marine regression exposed the basin floors or that ice filled the basins during these times. The high-elevation setting of Sirius Formation outcrops suggests one of two hypotheses for their origin: (1) They are in situ Pliocene glaciomarine deposits that were uplifted 1,750–2,500 m with the Transantarctic Mountains to their present elevation; (2) the Sirius Formation deposits are a mixture of derived sediments stripped from sub-ice intracratonic basins and subsequently redeposited by ice flowing up the inland slope of the Transantarctic Mountains. We favor the second hypothesis, with transport to sites sometime within the past 3 m.y. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.