Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T02:47:14.558Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Deglaciation and weathering of Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2009

Kevin Kiernan ,
Damian B. Gore ,
David Fink ,
Duanne A. White ,
Anne McConnell  and
Ingvar A. Sigurdsson
Kevin Kiernan*
Affiliation:
School of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 78, TAS 7001, Australia
Damian B. Gore
Affiliation:
Department of Environment & Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
David Fink
Affiliation:
Environment Division, ANSTO, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
Duanne A. White
Affiliation:
Department of Environment & Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
Anne McConnell
Affiliation:
School of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 78, TAS 7001, Australia
Ingvar A. Sigurdsson
Affiliation:
South Iceland Nature Centre, Strandvegur 50, 900 Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
*
*[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In situ cosmogenic 10Be exposure dating, radiocarbon determinations, salt and sediment geochemistry, and rock weathering observations indicate that parts of Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica have been subaerially exposed throughout much of the last glacial cycle, with the last glaciation occurring prior to 100 ka bp. Salt-enhanced subaerial weathering, coupled with a paucity of glacial erratics, made exposure age dating challenging. Rapid subaerial surface lowering in some places means that some exposure ages may underestimate the true age of deglaciation. Despite this uncertainty, the data are consistent with the absence of overriding by a thick ice sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum ∼20–18 ka bp.

Keywords

Broknescosmogenic nuclide exposure agemumiyosalt geochemistryStornes
Type
Earth Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , August 2009 , pp. 373 - 382
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adamson, D.A. Pickard, J. 1983. Late Quaternary ice movement across the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica. In Oliver, R.L., James, P.R. & Jago, J.B., eds. Antarctic earth science. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science, 465–469.Google Scholar
Adamson, D.A. Pickard, J. 1986. Cainozoic history of the Vestfold Hills. In Pickard, J., ed. Antarctic oasis: terrestrial environments and history of the Vestfold Hills. Sydney: Academic Press, 63–97.Google Scholar
Ascough, P., Cook, G. Dugmore, A. 2005. Methodological approaches to determining the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect. Progress in Physical Geography, 29, 532–547.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bien, L., Xue, Z., Lu, L., Lu, C., Jia, P. Zhang, Y. 1994. Surface meteorological data at Zhong Shan Station, Antarctica 1989–1992. CHINARE Data Report 7 (Meteorology 6). Shanghai: Polar Research Institute of China, 159 pp.Google Scholar
Burgess, J.S., Spate, A.P. Shevlin, J. 1994. The onset of deglaciation in the Larsemann Hills, eastern Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 6, 491–495.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carson, C.J., Dirks, P.G.H.M., Hand, M., Sims, J.P. Wilson, C.J.L. 1995. Compressional and extensional tectonics in low-medium pressure granulites from the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. Geological Magazine, 132, 151–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Child, D., Elliot, G., Misfud, C., Smith, A.M. Fink, D. 2000. Sample processing for earth science studies at ANTARES. Nuclear Instruments and Method in Physics Research, B172, 856–860.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cromer, L., Gibson, J.A.E., Swadling, K.M. Hodgson, D.A. 2006. Evidence for a lacustrine faunal refuge in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica, during the Last Glacial Maximum. Journal of Biogeography, 33, 1314–1323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dirks, P.H.G.M., Carson, C.J. Wilson, C.J.L. 1993. The deformational history of the Larsemann Hills, Prydz Bay - the importance of the Pan-African (500 ma) in East Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 5, 179–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fink, D. Smith, A. 2007. An inter-comparison of 10Be and 26Al AMS reference standards and the 10Be half-life. Nuclear Instruments and Methods, B259, 600–609.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fink, D., Hotchkis, M.A.C., Hua, Q., Jacobsen, G.E., Smith, A.M., Zoppi, U., Child, D., Mifsud, C., van der Gaast, H.A., Williams, A.A. Williams, M. 2004. The ANTARES AMS facility at ANSTO. Nuclear Instruments and Method in Physics Research, B223, 109–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillieson, D.S. 1991. An environmental history of two freshwater lakes in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. Hydrobiologia, 214, 327–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gore, D.B. 1997. Blanketing snow and ice: constraints on radiocarbon dating deglaciation in East Antarctic oases. Antarctic Science, 9, 336–348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gore, D.B., Creagh, D.C., Burgess, J.S., Colhoun, E.A., Spate, A.P. Baird, A.S. 1996. Composition, distribution and origin of surficial salts in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 8, 73–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, D.A., Verleyen, E., Squier, A.H., Sabbe, K., Keely, B.J., Saunders, K.M. Vyverman, W. 2006. Interglacial environments of coastal east Antarctica: comparison of MIS 1 (Holocene) and MIS 5e (Last Interglacial) lake-sediment records. Quaternary Science Reviews, 25, 179–197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, D.A., Verleyen, E., Sabbe, K., Squier, A.H., Keely, B.J., Leng, M.J., Saunders, K.M. Vyverman, W. 2005. Late Quaternary climate-driven environmental change in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica, multi-proxy evidence from a lake sediment core. Quaternary Research, 64, 83–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, D.A., Noon, P.E., Vyverman, W., Bryant, C.L., Gore, D.B., Appleby, P., Gilmour, M., Verleyen, E., Sabbe, K., Jones, V.J., Ellis-Evans, J.C. Wood, P.B. 2001. Were the Larsemann Hills ice-free through the Last Glacial Maximum? Antarctic Science, 13, 440–454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jerwood, L.C., Robinson, D.A. Williams, R.B.G. 1990. Experimental frost and salt weathering of chalk - I. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 15, 611–624.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiernan, K., McConnell, A., Colhoun, E. Lawson, E. 2003. Radiocarbon dating of mumiyo from the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica. Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 136, 141–144.Google Scholar
Lal, D. 1991. Cosmic ray labeling of erosion surfaces; in situ nuclide production rates and erosion models. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 104, 424–439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spate, A., Burgess, J.S. Shevlin, J. 1995. Rates of rock surface lowering, Princess Elizabeth Land, eastern Antarctica. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 20, 567–573.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squier, A.H., Hodgson, D.A. Keely, J. 2005. Evidence of late Quaternary environmental change in a continental east Antarctic lake from lacustrine sedimentary pigment distributions. Antarctic Science, 17, 361–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, J.O. 2000. Air pressure and cosmogenic isotope production. Journal of Geophysical Research, B105, 23753–23759.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuwe, K., Braun, H.-M. Peer, H. 1989. Geology and structure of the Larsemann Hills area, Prydz Bay, East Antarctica. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 36, 219–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sugden, D.E., Balco, G., Cowdery, S.G., Stone, J.O. Sass, L.C. 2005. Selective glacial erosion and weathering zones in the coastal mountains of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Geomorphology, 67, 317–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sumner, P.D. 2004. Rock weathering rates on subantarctic Marion Island. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 36, 123–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verleyen, E., Hodgson, D.A., Sabbe, K. Vyverman, W. 2004. Late Quaternary deglaciation and climate history of the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. Journal of Quaternary Science, 19, 361–375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, D.A. 2007. Cenozoic glacial history and landscape evolution of Mac.Robertson Land and the Lambert Glacier-Amery ice shelf system, East Antarctica. PhD thesis, Department of Physical Geography, Macquarie University, Sydney.Google Scholar
Williams, R.B.G Robinson, D.A. 1981. Weathering of sandstone by the combined action of frost and salt. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 6, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zwartz, D. 1995. The recent history of the Antarctic Ice Sheet:constraints from sea-level change. PhD thesis, Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Kiernan supplementary material

Tables.doc

Download Kiernan supplementary material(File)
File 213 KB