Abstract
We recovered sedimentary and plutonic rocks from the off-ridge portion of the Southwest Indian Ridge (37°00.02ʹ E, 44°49.73ʹ S, 2165 m deep). The petrography, geochemistry, and geochronology of these plutonic rocks were analyzed. Ar–Ar dating of biotite in the plutonic rocks yielded early Paleozoic ages of approximately 475 and 490 Ma, indicating that these rocks are likely related to Antarctic orogenies during the late Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic. In addition, the samples exhibited trace element compositions and low initial εNd values (−8 and −12) similar to those of rocks from western Dronning Maud Land and the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica. Such similarities suggest that these plutonic rocks from the off-ridge portion of the Southwest Indian ridge were derived from western Dronning Maud Land or the Transantarctic Mountains and deposited by melting icebergs as dropstones.
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