{"dp_type": "Project", "free_text": "Middle Miocene"}
[{"awards": "1341585 Sorlien, Christopher", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -73.33,-179.1 -73.33,-178.2 -73.33,-177.3 -73.33,-176.4 -73.33,-175.5 -73.33,-174.6 -73.33,-173.7 -73.33,-172.8 -73.33,-171.9 -73.33,-171 -73.33,-171 -73.864,-171 -74.398,-171 -74.932,-171 -75.466,-171 -76,-171 -76.534,-171 -77.068,-171 -77.602,-171 -78.136,-171 -78.67,-171.9 -78.67,-172.8 -78.67,-173.7 -78.67,-174.6 -78.67,-175.5 -78.67,-176.4 -78.67,-177.3 -78.67,-178.2 -78.67,-179.1 -78.67,180 -78.67,178.5 -78.67,177 -78.67,175.5 -78.67,174 -78.67,172.5 -78.67,171 -78.67,169.5 -78.67,168 -78.67,166.5 -78.67,165 -78.67,165 -78.136,165 -77.602,165 -77.068,165 -76.534,165 -76,165 -75.466,165 -74.932,165 -74.398,165 -73.864,165 -73.33,166.5 -73.33,168 -73.33,169.5 -73.33,171 -73.33,172.5 -73.33,174 -73.33,175.5 -73.33,177 -73.33,178.5 -73.33,-180 -73.33))", "dataset_titles": "Ross Sea unconformities digital grids in depth and two-way time", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601098", "doi": "10.15784/601098", "keywords": "Antarctica; Continental Margin; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Marine Geoscience; Miocene; Oligocene; Seismic Reflection", "people": "Wilson, Douglas S.; Sorlien, Christopher", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ross Sea unconformities digital grids in depth and two-way time", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601098"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit:\u003cbr/\u003eThis project will produce a new compilation of Ross Sea seismic stratigraphy, including new interpretations, that can be used to provide boundary conditions on the tectonic and glacial evolution of West Antarctica and the Ross Sea. The principal goals include compilation of, and interpretation of, all available existing seismic reflection data for the Western Ross Sea, coupled with geophysical modeling to produce paleo-bathymetric reconstructions for the entire 800 km-wide Ross Sea. Specific tasks will include: extending existing work on mapping travel time to reflectors, identifying relations in the seismic data that indicate subsidence through sea level, constructing velocity models for converting travel time to thickness, and using the velocity models to estimate density and porosity of sediments for backstripping analysis. Modeling/backstripping efforts will be used to constrain past bathymetry. Digital interpretations and stratigraphic grids will be provided as supplements to publications. In that way the results of this study can be used in thermal subsidence modeling and restoration of eroded rock to other parts of Ross Embayment and Marie Byrd Land by others. Digital products may be provided in advance of publication to modelers in a way that will not hurt publication chances.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBroader impacts: \u003cbr/\u003eThe results of this work will be important for paleo-geographic reconstructions of Antarctica and will therefore be of use to a broad range of researchers, particularly those working in the Ross Sea region. The digital products can be used to test models for the past fluctuations of West Antarctic ice sheets, and in planning for future sediment drilling projects. Two undergraduates to be chosen from applicants will be involved in summer internships held at the University of Rhode Island. Outreach will also include a new website and one or more Wikipedia entries related to Ross Sea sub-sea floor characteristics. The project includes an international collaboration with Dr. Chiara Sauli and others at Instituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS) in Italy.", "east": -171.0, "geometry": "POINT(177 -76)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -73.33, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Sorlien, Christopher; Luyendyk, Bruce P.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.67, "title": "Subsidence, Tilting, Sedimentation, and Oligocene-middle Miocene paleo-depth of Ross Sea", "uid": "p0000271", "west": 165.0}, {"awards": "1043700 Harry, Dennis", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -70,-176.5 -70,-173 -70,-169.5 -70,-166 -70,-162.5 -70,-159 -70,-155.5 -70,-152 -70,-148.5 -70,-145 -70,-145 -71,-145 -72,-145 -73,-145 -74,-145 -75,-145 -76,-145 -77,-145 -78,-145 -79,-145 -80,-148.5 -80,-152 -80,-155.5 -80,-159 -80,-162.5 -80,-166 -80,-169.5 -80,-173 -80,-176.5 -80,180 -80,177.5 -80,175 -80,172.5 -80,170 -80,167.5 -80,165 -80,162.5 -80,160 -80,157.5 -80,155 -80,155 -79,155 -78,155 -77,155 -76,155 -75,155 -74,155 -73,155 -72,155 -71,155 -70,157.5 -70,160 -70,162.5 -70,165 -70,167.5 -70,170 -70,172.5 -70,175 -70,177.5 -70,-180 -70))", "dataset_titles": "Geodynamic Models of Subsidence and Lithospheric Flexure at the ANDRILL Drill Sites: Implications for Cenozoic Tectonics and Ice Sheet History; Ross Sea post-middle Miocene seismic interpretation", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601227", "doi": "10.15784/601227", "keywords": "Andrill; Antarctica; Marine Geoscience; Ross Sea; Seismic Interpretation; Seismic Reflection; Stratigraphy; Subsidence; Victoria Land Basin", "people": "Harry, Dennis L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Ross Sea post-middle Miocene seismic interpretation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601227"}, {"dataset_uid": "600128", "doi": "10.15784/600128", "keywords": "Andrill; Antarctica; Continental Rift; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Lithosphere; Model; Ross Sea; Solid Earth; Tectonic; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Harry, Dennis L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Geodynamic Models of Subsidence and Lithospheric Flexure at the ANDRILL Drill Sites: Implications for Cenozoic Tectonics and Ice Sheet History", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600128"}], "date_created": "Sun, 31 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: \u003cbr/\u003eThis research will place the subsidence history of the southern Victoria Land Basin into a quantitative geodynamic context and will assess the influence of flexure associated with late Neogene volcanic loading of the crust by the Erebus Volcanic Group. This will be done by extending geodynamic models of extension in the West Antarctic Rift System to include extensional hiatuses hypothesized to have occurred during the Late Paleogene and Miocene, and by developing a new geodynamic model of volcanic loading and associated lithosphere flexure. Finite element and finite difference modeling methods will be used. In the first phase of the project, a series of extensional geodynamic models will be developed to examine the effect that proposed extensional hiatuses have on the style of extension, with emphasis placed on developing a process based understanding of the change in rift style from diffuse during the Late Cretaceous to more focused during the Cenozoic. The models will test the hypotheses that extensional hiatuses led to the change in rifting style, and will place constraints on the timing and duration of the hiatuses. The second phase of the project will use the thermal and rheological properties of the previous models to constrain the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere in order to model the flexural response to volcanic loading to test the hypotheses that flexural subsidence contributed to cyclic changes between grounded and floating ice at the ANDRILL AND-1A site, complicating interpretations of the climatic record from this core, and that flexure contributes to the stress orientation at the AND-2B site, which is inconsistent with the expected regional extensional stress orientation.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBroader impacts: \u003cbr/\u003eThe project will train an undergraduate student and an M.S. student. Outreach activities include a planned series of talks at regional high schools, junior colleges, and 4-year colleges that have geology programs.", "east": -145.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -75)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; MARINE GEOPHYSICS; Antarctica; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -70.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Harry, Dennis L.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "ANDRILL", "south": -80.0, "title": "Geodynamic Models of Subsidence and Lithospheric Flexure at the ANDRILL Drill Sites: Implications for Cenozoic Tectonics and Ice Sheet History", "uid": "p0000467", "west": 155.0}, {"awards": "0838842 Passchier, Sandra", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -68,-177 -68,-174 -68,-171 -68,-168 -68,-165 -68,-162 -68,-159 -68,-156 -68,-153 -68,-150 -68,-150 -69,-150 -70,-150 -71,-150 -72,-150 -73,-150 -74,-150 -75,-150 -76,-150 -77,-150 -78,-153 -78,-156 -78,-159 -78,-162 -78,-165 -78,-168 -78,-171 -78,-174 -78,-177 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -77,160 -76,160 -75,160 -74,160 -73,160 -72,160 -71,160 -70,160 -69,160 -68,162 -68,164 -68,166 -68,168 -68,170 -68,172 -68,174 -68,176 -68,178 -68,-180 -68))", "dataset_titles": "Particle-size measurements for diamictites AND-2A sediment core, McMurdo Sound", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601452", "doi": "10.15784/601452", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Miocene; Particle Size; Pleistocene; Pliocene", "people": "Passchier, Sandra; Hansen, Melissa A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Particle-size measurements for diamictites AND-2A sediment core, McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601452"}], "date_created": "Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The project aims on studying sediment cores collected from Prydz Bay and the Ross Sea to unravel the Neogene paleoclimatic history of the East Antarctic ice sheet. In the light of current measurements and predictions of a substantial rise in global temperature, investigations into the sensitivity of the East Antarctic ice sheet to climate change and its role in the climate system are essential. Geological records of former periods of climate change provide an opportunity to ground truth model predictions. The scientific objective of this project is to identify a previously proposed middle Miocene transition from a more dynamic wet-based East Antarctic ice sheet to the present semi-permanent ice sheet that is partially frozen to its bed. The timing and significance of this transition is controversial due to a lack of quantitative studies on well-dated ice-proximal sedimentary sequences. This project partially fills that gap using the composition and physical properties of diamictites and sandstones to establish shifts in ice-sheet drainage pathways, paleoenvironments and basal ice conditions. The results from the two key areas around the Antarctic continental margin will provide insight into the behavior of the East Antarctic ice sheet across the middle Miocene transition and through known times of warming in the late Miocene and Pliocene.", "east": -150.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -73)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -68.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Passchier, Sandra", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Determining Middle Miocene through Pliocene Changes in Paleo Ice-flow and Basal Ice Conditions in East Antarctica through Sedimentological Analyses of Core Samples", "uid": "p0000147", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0094078 Bart, Philip", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-179.99992 -72.00044,-143.999984 -72.00044,-108.000048 -72.00044,-72.000112 -72.00044,-36.000176 -72.00044,-0.000239999999991 -72.00044,35.999696 -72.00044,71.999632 -72.00044,107.999568 -72.00044,143.999504 -72.00044,179.99944 -72.00044,179.99944 -72.574101,179.99944 -73.147762,179.99944 -73.721423,179.99944 -74.295084,179.99944 -74.868745,179.99944 -75.442406,179.99944 -76.016067,179.99944 -76.589728,179.99944 -77.163389,179.99944 -77.73705,143.999504 -77.73705,107.999568 -77.73705,71.999632 -77.73705,35.999696 -77.73705,-0.000240000000019 -77.73705,-36.000176 -77.73705,-72.000112 -77.73705,-108.000048 -77.73705,-143.999984 -77.73705,-179.99992 -77.73705,-179.99992 -77.163389,-179.99992 -76.589728,-179.99992 -76.016067,-179.99992 -75.442406,-179.99992 -74.868745,-179.99992 -74.295084,-179.99992 -73.721423,-179.99992 -73.147762,-179.99992 -72.574101,-179.99992 -72.00044))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001648", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0301A"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "PROPOSAL NO.: 0094078\u003cbr/\u003ePRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Bart, Philip\u003cbr/\u003eINSTITUTION NAME: Louisiana State University \u0026 Agricultural and Mechanical College\u003cbr/\u003eTITLE: CAREER: Relative frequency and phase of extreme expansions of the Antarctic Ice Sheets during the late Neogene\u003cbr/\u003eNSF RECEIVED DATE: 07/27/2000\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003ePROJECT SUMMARY\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eExpansions and contractions of the Antarctic Ice Sheets (AISs) have undoubtedly had a profound influence on Earth\u0027s climate and global sea-level. However, rather than being a single entity, the Antarctic cryosphere consists of three primary elements: 1) the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS); 2) the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS); and 3) the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Cap (APIC). The distinguishing characteristics include significant differences in: 1) ice volume; 2) substratum elevation; 3) ice-surface elevation; and 4) location with respect to latitude. Various lines of evidence indicate that the AISs have undergone significant fluctuations in the past and that fluctuations will continue to occur in the future. The exact nature of the fluctuations has been the subject of many lively debates. According to one line of reasoning, the land-based EAIS has been relatively stable, experiencing only minor fluctuations since forming in the middle Miocene, whereas the marine-based WAIS has been dynamic, waxing and waning frequently since the late Miocene. According to an alternate hypothesis, the ice sheets advanced and retreated synchronously. These two views are incompatible. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe first objective of this proposal is to compare the long-term past behavior of the WAIS to that of the EAIS and APIC. The fluctuations of the AISs involve many aspects (the frequency of changes, the overall magnitude of ice-volume change, etc.), and the activities proposed here specifically concern the frequency and phase of extreme advances of the ice sheet to the continental shelf. The project will build upon previous seismic-stratigraphic investigations of the continental shelves. These studies have clarified many issues concerning the minimum frequency of extreme expansions for the individual ice sheets, but some important questions remain. During the course of the project, the following questions will be evaluated.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eQuestion 1) Were extreme advances of the EAIS and WAIS across the shelf of a similar frequency and coeval? This evaluation is possible because the western Ross Sea continental shelf (Northern Basin) receives drainage from the EAIS, and the eastern Ross Sea (Eastern Basin) receives drainage from the WAIS. Quantitative analyses of the extreme advances from these two areas have been conducted by Alonso et al. (1992) and Bart et al. (2000), respectively. However, the existing single-channel seismic grids are incomplete and can not be used to determine the stratigraphic correlations from Northern Basin to Eastern Basin. It is proposed that high-resolution seismic data (~2000 kms) be acquired to address this issue.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eQuestion 2) Were extreme advances of the APIC across the shelf as frequent as inferred by Bart and Anderson (1995)? Bart and Anderson (1995) inferred that the APIC advanced across the continental shelf at least 30 times since the middle Miocene. This is significant because it suggests that the advances of the small APIC were an order of magnitude more frequent than the advances of the EAIS and WAIS. Others contest the Bart and Anderson (1995) glacial-unconformity interpretation of seismic reflections, and argue that the advances of the APIC were far fewer (i.e., Larter et al., 1997). The recent drilling on the Antarctic Peninsula outer continental shelf has sampled some but not all of the glacial units, but the sediment recovery was poor, and thus, the glacial history interpretation is still ambiguous. The existing high-resolution seismic grids from the Antarctic Peninsula contain only one regional strike line on the outer continental shelf. This is inadequate to address the controversy of the glacial-unconformity interpretation and the regional correlation of the recent ODP results. It is proposed that high-resolution seismic data (~1000 kms) be acquired in a forthcoming (January 2002) cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula to address these issues.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe second objective of this project is 1) to expand the PI\u0027s effort to integrate his ongoing and the proposed experiments into a graduate-level course at LSU, and 2) to develop a pilot outreach program with a Baton Rouge public high school. The Louisiana Department of Education has adopted scientific standards that apply to all sciences. These standards reflect what 9th through 12th grade-level students should be able to do and know. The PI will target one of these standards, the Science As Inquiry Standard 1 Benchmark. The PI will endeavor to share with the students the excitement of conducting scientific research as a way to encourage the students to pursue earth science as a field of study at the university level.", "east": 179.99944, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -72.00044, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bart, Philip", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.73705, "title": "PECASE: Relative frequency and phase of extreme expansions of the Antarctic Ice Sheets during the late Neogene", "uid": "p0000593", "west": -179.99992}, {"awards": "0440711 Marchant, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -76.5,160.45 -76.5,160.9 -76.5,161.35 -76.5,161.8 -76.5,162.25 -76.5,162.7 -76.5,163.15 -76.5,163.6 -76.5,164.05 -76.5,164.5 -76.5,164.5 -76.7,164.5 -76.9,164.5 -77.1,164.5 -77.3,164.5 -77.5,164.5 -77.7,164.5 -77.9,164.5 -78.1,164.5 -78.3,164.5 -78.5,164.05 -78.5,163.6 -78.5,163.15 -78.5,162.7 -78.5,162.25 -78.5,161.8 -78.5,161.35 -78.5,160.9 -78.5,160.45 -78.5,160 -78.5,160 -78.3,160 -78.1,160 -77.9,160 -77.7,160 -77.5,160 -77.3,160 -77.1,160 -76.9,160 -76.7,160 -76.5))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project studies ancient lake deposits from the western Dry Valleys of Antarctica. These deposits are particularly exciting because they preserve flora and fauna over seven million years in age that represent the last vestiges of ecosystems that dominated this area before formation of the modern East Antarctic ice sheet. Their unique nature offers a chance to bridge modern and ancient ecology. Formed along the margin of ancient alpine glaciers, these deposits contain layers of silt, clay, and volcanic ash; as well as freeze-dried remnants of mosses, insects, and diatoms. Geological and biological analyses provide a view of the ecological and environmental conditions during mid-to-late Miocene--seven to seventeen million years ago--which spans the critical period when the East Antarctic ice sheet transitioned to its present stable form. The results place the modern lakes of the Dry Valleys into a long-term evolutionary framework, and allow for correlation and dating comparisons with other fossil-rich deposits from the Transantarctic Mountains. Chemical fingerprinting and dating of volcanic glass shards will also help date fossil- and ash-bearing horizons in nearby marine cores, such as those to be collected under the ANDRILL program. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts are education at the postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels; and collaboration between a research institution and primarily undergraduate institution. The work also improves our understanding of global climate change during a critical period in the Earth\u0027s history.", "east": 164.5, "geometry": "POINT(162.25 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Paleoclimate; Not provided; Lacustrine; Tundra; Middle Miocene; McMurdo Dry Valleys; Vegetation; Fossil; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica; McMurdo Dry Valleys", "north": -76.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Marchant, David", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -78.5, "title": "Collaborative Research: Deducing Late Neogene Antarctic Climate from Fossil-Rich Lacustrine Sediments in the Dry Valleys", "uid": "p0000186", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0739693 Ashworth, Allan; 0739700 Marchant, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -77,160.2 -77,160.4 -77,160.6 -77,160.8 -77,161 -77,161.2 -77,161.4 -77,161.6 -77,161.8 -77,162 -77,162 -77.1,162 -77.2,162 -77.3,162 -77.4,162 -77.5,162 -77.6,162 -77.7,162 -77.8,162 -77.9,162 -78,161.8 -78,161.6 -78,161.4 -78,161.2 -78,161 -78,160.8 -78,160.6 -78,160.4 -78,160.2 -78,160 -78,160 -77.9,160 -77.8,160 -77.7,160 -77.6,160 -77.5,160 -77.4,160 -77.3,160 -77.2,160 -77.1,160 -77))", "dataset_titles": "Integrating Geomorphological and Paleoecological Studies to Reconstruct Neogene Environments of the Transantarctic Mountains", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600081", "doi": "10.15784/600081", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Geology/Geophysics - Other; GPS; Solid Earth", "people": "Lewis, Adam; Ashworth, Allan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Integrating Geomorphological and Paleoecological Studies to Reconstruct Neogene Environments of the Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600081"}], "date_created": "Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project studies the last vestiges of life in Antarctica from exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tundra life--mosses, diatoms, ostracods, Nothofagus leaves, wood, and insect remains recently discovered in ancient lake sediments from the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The area will be studied by an interdisciplinary team to elucidate information about climate and biogeography. These deposits offer unique and direct information about the characteristics of Antarctica during a key period in its history, the time when it was freezing. This information is critical for correlation with indirect proxies, such as though obtained from drill cores, for climate and state of the ice sheet. The results will also help understand the origin and migration of similar organisms found in South America, India and Australia.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn terms of broader impacts, this project supports an early career researcher, undergraduate and graduate student research, various forms of outreach to K12 students, and extensive international collaboration. The work also has societal relevance in that the outcomes will offer direct constraints on Antarctica\u0027s ice sheet during a time with atmospheric CO2 contents similar to those of the earth in the coming centuries, and thus may help predictive models of sea level rise.", "east": 162.0, "geometry": "POINT(161 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; Antarctica; Vegetation; Paleoclimate; Middle Miocene; Tundra; Bu/es Data Repository; McMurdo Dry Valleys; Lacustrine; Fossil", "locations": "Antarctica; McMurdo Dry Valleys", "north": -77.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ashworth, Allan; Lewis, Adam", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Integrating Geomorphological and Paleoecological Studies to Reconstruct Neogene Environments of the Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0000188", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "9909436 Farley, Kenneth", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9909436 \u003cbr/\u003eFarley\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports an investigation of the uplift history of the Dry Valleys segment of the Transantarctic Mountains. The overall goal is to further constrain the exhumation history of the Transantarctic Mountains by using the newly developed apatite (U-Th)/He dating method on samples collected in vertical profiles. This approach, combined with existing apatite fission track information will constrain the rate and patterns of exhumation across the Transantarctic Mountains since their inception as a rift-flank uplift in the early Cenozoic.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis project will complement other projects and build on previous interpretations of the exhumation and tectonic history determined using apatite fission track thermochronology. It will bridge the gap between information on erosion rates determined from fission track thermochronology and from cosmogenic surface exposure dating and integrate the exhumation history of the mountains with their landscape evolution. As such, the results from this project will address an outstanding problem in Antarctic science; namely the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the timing of the transition from a \"warm\" dynamic ice sheet to a cold polar ice sheet. Highly relevant to this issue is the landscape evolution of the Transantarctic Mountains because many diverse lines of evidence for the rate of landscape evolution have been used to argue for a dynamic ice sheet up until either the Pliocene (the \"dynamic\" ice sheet model) or the middle Miocene (the \"stable\" ice sheet model). Understanding the past stability or dynamic fluctuations of the East Antarctic ice sheet with respect to the climate record is, of course, important for understanding how the present ice sheet may respond to global warming.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe specific objective of this project is to determine apatite (U-Th)/He age versus elevation trends for a number of vertical profiles from locations within the Transantarctic Mountain front and across the structural grain of the range. Fission track data already exist for all of these profiles, with apatite fission track ages ranging from 150-30 Ma. The greater precision of the (U-Th)/He technique and the fact it records information at lower temperatures (closure temperature of ~70 degrees Celsius; limits of 40-85 degrees Celsius for the He partial retention zone) will allow examination of the exhumation history of the TAM in more detail from ca 130 Ma to ~20 Ma. Another facet is to examine areas where Cretaceous exhumation is recorded and areas where the fission track profiles indicate periods of thermal and tectonic stability and minimal erosion throughout the Cretaceous. The variation of timing of the onset of more rapid exhumation accompanying uplift and formation of the Transantarctic Mountains in the early Cenozoic will also be examined.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Farley, Kenneth", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Exhumation of the Transantarctic Mountains: Constraints from (U-Th)/He Dating of Apatites", "uid": "p0000281", "west": null}]
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Project Title/Abstract/Map | NSF Award(s) | Date Created | PIs / Scientists | Dataset Links and Repositories | Abstract | Bounds Geometry | Geometry | Selected | Visible | |||
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Subsidence, Tilting, Sedimentation, and Oligocene-middle Miocene paleo-depth of Ross Sea
|
1341585 |
2018-05-25 | Sorlien, Christopher; Luyendyk, Bruce P. |
|
Intellectual Merit:<br/>This project will produce a new compilation of Ross Sea seismic stratigraphy, including new interpretations, that can be used to provide boundary conditions on the tectonic and glacial evolution of West Antarctica and the Ross Sea. The principal goals include compilation of, and interpretation of, all available existing seismic reflection data for the Western Ross Sea, coupled with geophysical modeling to produce paleo-bathymetric reconstructions for the entire 800 km-wide Ross Sea. Specific tasks will include: extending existing work on mapping travel time to reflectors, identifying relations in the seismic data that indicate subsidence through sea level, constructing velocity models for converting travel time to thickness, and using the velocity models to estimate density and porosity of sediments for backstripping analysis. Modeling/backstripping efforts will be used to constrain past bathymetry. Digital interpretations and stratigraphic grids will be provided as supplements to publications. In that way the results of this study can be used in thermal subsidence modeling and restoration of eroded rock to other parts of Ross Embayment and Marie Byrd Land by others. Digital products may be provided in advance of publication to modelers in a way that will not hurt publication chances.<br/><br/>Broader impacts: <br/>The results of this work will be important for paleo-geographic reconstructions of Antarctica and will therefore be of use to a broad range of researchers, particularly those working in the Ross Sea region. The digital products can be used to test models for the past fluctuations of West Antarctic ice sheets, and in planning for future sediment drilling projects. Two undergraduates to be chosen from applicants will be involved in summer internships held at the University of Rhode Island. Outreach will also include a new website and one or more Wikipedia entries related to Ross Sea sub-sea floor characteristics. The project includes an international collaboration with Dr. Chiara Sauli and others at Instituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS) in Italy. | POLYGON((-180 -73.33,-179.1 -73.33,-178.2 -73.33,-177.3 -73.33,-176.4 -73.33,-175.5 -73.33,-174.6 -73.33,-173.7 -73.33,-172.8 -73.33,-171.9 -73.33,-171 -73.33,-171 -73.864,-171 -74.398,-171 -74.932,-171 -75.466,-171 -76,-171 -76.534,-171 -77.068,-171 -77.602,-171 -78.136,-171 -78.67,-171.9 -78.67,-172.8 -78.67,-173.7 -78.67,-174.6 -78.67,-175.5 -78.67,-176.4 -78.67,-177.3 -78.67,-178.2 -78.67,-179.1 -78.67,180 -78.67,178.5 -78.67,177 -78.67,175.5 -78.67,174 -78.67,172.5 -78.67,171 -78.67,169.5 -78.67,168 -78.67,166.5 -78.67,165 -78.67,165 -78.136,165 -77.602,165 -77.068,165 -76.534,165 -76,165 -75.466,165 -74.932,165 -74.398,165 -73.864,165 -73.33,166.5 -73.33,168 -73.33,169.5 -73.33,171 -73.33,172.5 -73.33,174 -73.33,175.5 -73.33,177 -73.33,178.5 -73.33,-180 -73.33)) | POINT(177 -76) | false | false | |||
Geodynamic Models of Subsidence and Lithospheric Flexure at the ANDRILL Drill Sites: Implications for Cenozoic Tectonics and Ice Sheet History
|
1043700 |
2014-08-31 | Harry, Dennis L. | Intellectual Merit: <br/>This research will place the subsidence history of the southern Victoria Land Basin into a quantitative geodynamic context and will assess the influence of flexure associated with late Neogene volcanic loading of the crust by the Erebus Volcanic Group. This will be done by extending geodynamic models of extension in the West Antarctic Rift System to include extensional hiatuses hypothesized to have occurred during the Late Paleogene and Miocene, and by developing a new geodynamic model of volcanic loading and associated lithosphere flexure. Finite element and finite difference modeling methods will be used. In the first phase of the project, a series of extensional geodynamic models will be developed to examine the effect that proposed extensional hiatuses have on the style of extension, with emphasis placed on developing a process based understanding of the change in rift style from diffuse during the Late Cretaceous to more focused during the Cenozoic. The models will test the hypotheses that extensional hiatuses led to the change in rifting style, and will place constraints on the timing and duration of the hiatuses. The second phase of the project will use the thermal and rheological properties of the previous models to constrain the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere in order to model the flexural response to volcanic loading to test the hypotheses that flexural subsidence contributed to cyclic changes between grounded and floating ice at the ANDRILL AND-1A site, complicating interpretations of the climatic record from this core, and that flexure contributes to the stress orientation at the AND-2B site, which is inconsistent with the expected regional extensional stress orientation.<br/><br/>Broader impacts: <br/>The project will train an undergraduate student and an M.S. student. Outreach activities include a planned series of talks at regional high schools, junior colleges, and 4-year colleges that have geology programs. | POLYGON((-180 -70,-176.5 -70,-173 -70,-169.5 -70,-166 -70,-162.5 -70,-159 -70,-155.5 -70,-152 -70,-148.5 -70,-145 -70,-145 -71,-145 -72,-145 -73,-145 -74,-145 -75,-145 -76,-145 -77,-145 -78,-145 -79,-145 -80,-148.5 -80,-152 -80,-155.5 -80,-159 -80,-162.5 -80,-166 -80,-169.5 -80,-173 -80,-176.5 -80,180 -80,177.5 -80,175 -80,172.5 -80,170 -80,167.5 -80,165 -80,162.5 -80,160 -80,157.5 -80,155 -80,155 -79,155 -78,155 -77,155 -76,155 -75,155 -74,155 -73,155 -72,155 -71,155 -70,157.5 -70,160 -70,162.5 -70,165 -70,167.5 -70,170 -70,172.5 -70,175 -70,177.5 -70,-180 -70)) | POINT(-175 -75) | false | false | ||||
Determining Middle Miocene through Pliocene Changes in Paleo Ice-flow and Basal Ice Conditions in East Antarctica through Sedimentological Analyses of Core Samples
|
0838842 |
2010-08-27 | Passchier, Sandra |
|
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The project aims on studying sediment cores collected from Prydz Bay and the Ross Sea to unravel the Neogene paleoclimatic history of the East Antarctic ice sheet. In the light of current measurements and predictions of a substantial rise in global temperature, investigations into the sensitivity of the East Antarctic ice sheet to climate change and its role in the climate system are essential. Geological records of former periods of climate change provide an opportunity to ground truth model predictions. The scientific objective of this project is to identify a previously proposed middle Miocene transition from a more dynamic wet-based East Antarctic ice sheet to the present semi-permanent ice sheet that is partially frozen to its bed. The timing and significance of this transition is controversial due to a lack of quantitative studies on well-dated ice-proximal sedimentary sequences. This project partially fills that gap using the composition and physical properties of diamictites and sandstones to establish shifts in ice-sheet drainage pathways, paleoenvironments and basal ice conditions. The results from the two key areas around the Antarctic continental margin will provide insight into the behavior of the East Antarctic ice sheet across the middle Miocene transition and through known times of warming in the late Miocene and Pliocene. | POLYGON((-180 -68,-177 -68,-174 -68,-171 -68,-168 -68,-165 -68,-162 -68,-159 -68,-156 -68,-153 -68,-150 -68,-150 -69,-150 -70,-150 -71,-150 -72,-150 -73,-150 -74,-150 -75,-150 -76,-150 -77,-150 -78,-153 -78,-156 -78,-159 -78,-162 -78,-165 -78,-168 -78,-171 -78,-174 -78,-177 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -77,160 -76,160 -75,160 -74,160 -73,160 -72,160 -71,160 -70,160 -69,160 -68,162 -68,164 -68,166 -68,168 -68,170 -68,172 -68,174 -68,176 -68,178 -68,-180 -68)) | POINT(-175 -73) | false | false | |||
PECASE: Relative frequency and phase of extreme expansions of the Antarctic Ice Sheets during the late Neogene
|
0094078 |
2010-05-04 | Bart, Philip |
|
PROPOSAL NO.: 0094078<br/>PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Bart, Philip<br/>INSTITUTION NAME: Louisiana State University & Agricultural and Mechanical College<br/>TITLE: CAREER: Relative frequency and phase of extreme expansions of the Antarctic Ice Sheets during the late Neogene<br/>NSF RECEIVED DATE: 07/27/2000<br/><br/>PROJECT SUMMARY<br/><br/>Expansions and contractions of the Antarctic Ice Sheets (AISs) have undoubtedly had a profound influence on Earth's climate and global sea-level. However, rather than being a single entity, the Antarctic cryosphere consists of three primary elements: 1) the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS); 2) the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS); and 3) the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Cap (APIC). The distinguishing characteristics include significant differences in: 1) ice volume; 2) substratum elevation; 3) ice-surface elevation; and 4) location with respect to latitude. Various lines of evidence indicate that the AISs have undergone significant fluctuations in the past and that fluctuations will continue to occur in the future. The exact nature of the fluctuations has been the subject of many lively debates. According to one line of reasoning, the land-based EAIS has been relatively stable, experiencing only minor fluctuations since forming in the middle Miocene, whereas the marine-based WAIS has been dynamic, waxing and waning frequently since the late Miocene. According to an alternate hypothesis, the ice sheets advanced and retreated synchronously. These two views are incompatible. <br/><br/>The first objective of this proposal is to compare the long-term past behavior of the WAIS to that of the EAIS and APIC. The fluctuations of the AISs involve many aspects (the frequency of changes, the overall magnitude of ice-volume change, etc.), and the activities proposed here specifically concern the frequency and phase of extreme advances of the ice sheet to the continental shelf. The project will build upon previous seismic-stratigraphic investigations of the continental shelves. These studies have clarified many issues concerning the minimum frequency of extreme expansions for the individual ice sheets, but some important questions remain. During the course of the project, the following questions will be evaluated.<br/><br/>Question 1) Were extreme advances of the EAIS and WAIS across the shelf of a similar frequency and coeval? This evaluation is possible because the western Ross Sea continental shelf (Northern Basin) receives drainage from the EAIS, and the eastern Ross Sea (Eastern Basin) receives drainage from the WAIS. Quantitative analyses of the extreme advances from these two areas have been conducted by Alonso et al. (1992) and Bart et al. (2000), respectively. However, the existing single-channel seismic grids are incomplete and can not be used to determine the stratigraphic correlations from Northern Basin to Eastern Basin. It is proposed that high-resolution seismic data (~2000 kms) be acquired to address this issue.<br/><br/>Question 2) Were extreme advances of the APIC across the shelf as frequent as inferred by Bart and Anderson (1995)? Bart and Anderson (1995) inferred that the APIC advanced across the continental shelf at least 30 times since the middle Miocene. This is significant because it suggests that the advances of the small APIC were an order of magnitude more frequent than the advances of the EAIS and WAIS. Others contest the Bart and Anderson (1995) glacial-unconformity interpretation of seismic reflections, and argue that the advances of the APIC were far fewer (i.e., Larter et al., 1997). The recent drilling on the Antarctic Peninsula outer continental shelf has sampled some but not all of the glacial units, but the sediment recovery was poor, and thus, the glacial history interpretation is still ambiguous. The existing high-resolution seismic grids from the Antarctic Peninsula contain only one regional strike line on the outer continental shelf. This is inadequate to address the controversy of the glacial-unconformity interpretation and the regional correlation of the recent ODP results. It is proposed that high-resolution seismic data (~1000 kms) be acquired in a forthcoming (January 2002) cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula to address these issues.<br/><br/>The second objective of this project is 1) to expand the PI's effort to integrate his ongoing and the proposed experiments into a graduate-level course at LSU, and 2) to develop a pilot outreach program with a Baton Rouge public high school. The Louisiana Department of Education has adopted scientific standards that apply to all sciences. These standards reflect what 9th through 12th grade-level students should be able to do and know. The PI will target one of these standards, the Science As Inquiry Standard 1 Benchmark. The PI will endeavor to share with the students the excitement of conducting scientific research as a way to encourage the students to pursue earth science as a field of study at the university level. | POLYGON((-179.99992 -72.00044,-143.999984 -72.00044,-108.000048 -72.00044,-72.000112 -72.00044,-36.000176 -72.00044,-0.000239999999991 -72.00044,35.999696 -72.00044,71.999632 -72.00044,107.999568 -72.00044,143.999504 -72.00044,179.99944 -72.00044,179.99944 -72.574101,179.99944 -73.147762,179.99944 -73.721423,179.99944 -74.295084,179.99944 -74.868745,179.99944 -75.442406,179.99944 -76.016067,179.99944 -76.589728,179.99944 -77.163389,179.99944 -77.73705,143.999504 -77.73705,107.999568 -77.73705,71.999632 -77.73705,35.999696 -77.73705,-0.000240000000019 -77.73705,-36.000176 -77.73705,-72.000112 -77.73705,-108.000048 -77.73705,-143.999984 -77.73705,-179.99992 -77.73705,-179.99992 -77.163389,-179.99992 -76.589728,-179.99992 -76.016067,-179.99992 -75.442406,-179.99992 -74.868745,-179.99992 -74.295084,-179.99992 -73.721423,-179.99992 -73.147762,-179.99992 -72.574101,-179.99992 -72.00044)) | POINT(0 -89.999) | false | false | |||
Collaborative Research: Deducing Late Neogene Antarctic Climate from Fossil-Rich Lacustrine Sediments in the Dry Valleys
|
0440711 |
2009-07-01 | Marchant, David | No dataset link provided | This project studies ancient lake deposits from the western Dry Valleys of Antarctica. These deposits are particularly exciting because they preserve flora and fauna over seven million years in age that represent the last vestiges of ecosystems that dominated this area before formation of the modern East Antarctic ice sheet. Their unique nature offers a chance to bridge modern and ancient ecology. Formed along the margin of ancient alpine glaciers, these deposits contain layers of silt, clay, and volcanic ash; as well as freeze-dried remnants of mosses, insects, and diatoms. Geological and biological analyses provide a view of the ecological and environmental conditions during mid-to-late Miocene--seven to seventeen million years ago--which spans the critical period when the East Antarctic ice sheet transitioned to its present stable form. The results place the modern lakes of the Dry Valleys into a long-term evolutionary framework, and allow for correlation and dating comparisons with other fossil-rich deposits from the Transantarctic Mountains. Chemical fingerprinting and dating of volcanic glass shards will also help date fossil- and ash-bearing horizons in nearby marine cores, such as those to be collected under the ANDRILL program. <br/><br/>The broader impacts are education at the postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels; and collaboration between a research institution and primarily undergraduate institution. The work also improves our understanding of global climate change during a critical period in the Earth's history. | POLYGON((160 -76.5,160.45 -76.5,160.9 -76.5,161.35 -76.5,161.8 -76.5,162.25 -76.5,162.7 -76.5,163.15 -76.5,163.6 -76.5,164.05 -76.5,164.5 -76.5,164.5 -76.7,164.5 -76.9,164.5 -77.1,164.5 -77.3,164.5 -77.5,164.5 -77.7,164.5 -77.9,164.5 -78.1,164.5 -78.3,164.5 -78.5,164.05 -78.5,163.6 -78.5,163.15 -78.5,162.7 -78.5,162.25 -78.5,161.8 -78.5,161.35 -78.5,160.9 -78.5,160.45 -78.5,160 -78.5,160 -78.3,160 -78.1,160 -77.9,160 -77.7,160 -77.5,160 -77.3,160 -77.1,160 -76.9,160 -76.7,160 -76.5)) | POINT(162.25 -77.5) | false | false | |||
Collaborative Research: Integrating Geomorphological and Paleoecological Studies to Reconstruct Neogene Environments of the Transantarctic Mountains
|
0739693 0739700 |
2009-06-22 | Ashworth, Allan; Lewis, Adam |
|
This project studies the last vestiges of life in Antarctica from exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tundra life--mosses, diatoms, ostracods, Nothofagus leaves, wood, and insect remains recently discovered in ancient lake sediments from the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The area will be studied by an interdisciplinary team to elucidate information about climate and biogeography. These deposits offer unique and direct information about the characteristics of Antarctica during a key period in its history, the time when it was freezing. This information is critical for correlation with indirect proxies, such as though obtained from drill cores, for climate and state of the ice sheet. The results will also help understand the origin and migration of similar organisms found in South America, India and Australia.<br/><br/>In terms of broader impacts, this project supports an early career researcher, undergraduate and graduate student research, various forms of outreach to K12 students, and extensive international collaboration. The work also has societal relevance in that the outcomes will offer direct constraints on Antarctica's ice sheet during a time with atmospheric CO2 contents similar to those of the earth in the coming centuries, and thus may help predictive models of sea level rise. | POLYGON((160 -77,160.2 -77,160.4 -77,160.6 -77,160.8 -77,161 -77,161.2 -77,161.4 -77,161.6 -77,161.8 -77,162 -77,162 -77.1,162 -77.2,162 -77.3,162 -77.4,162 -77.5,162 -77.6,162 -77.7,162 -77.8,162 -77.9,162 -78,161.8 -78,161.6 -78,161.4 -78,161.2 -78,161 -78,160.8 -78,160.6 -78,160.4 -78,160.2 -78,160 -78,160 -77.9,160 -77.8,160 -77.7,160 -77.6,160 -77.5,160 -77.4,160 -77.3,160 -77.2,160 -77.1,160 -77)) | POINT(161 -77.5) | false | false | |||
Collaborative Research: Exhumation of the Transantarctic Mountains: Constraints from (U-Th)/He Dating of Apatites
|
9909436 |
2007-07-11 | Farley, Kenneth | No dataset link provided | 9909436 <br/>Farley<br/><br/>This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports an investigation of the uplift history of the Dry Valleys segment of the Transantarctic Mountains. The overall goal is to further constrain the exhumation history of the Transantarctic Mountains by using the newly developed apatite (U-Th)/He dating method on samples collected in vertical profiles. This approach, combined with existing apatite fission track information will constrain the rate and patterns of exhumation across the Transantarctic Mountains since their inception as a rift-flank uplift in the early Cenozoic.<br/><br/>This project will complement other projects and build on previous interpretations of the exhumation and tectonic history determined using apatite fission track thermochronology. It will bridge the gap between information on erosion rates determined from fission track thermochronology and from cosmogenic surface exposure dating and integrate the exhumation history of the mountains with their landscape evolution. As such, the results from this project will address an outstanding problem in Antarctic science; namely the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the timing of the transition from a "warm" dynamic ice sheet to a cold polar ice sheet. Highly relevant to this issue is the landscape evolution of the Transantarctic Mountains because many diverse lines of evidence for the rate of landscape evolution have been used to argue for a dynamic ice sheet up until either the Pliocene (the "dynamic" ice sheet model) or the middle Miocene (the "stable" ice sheet model). Understanding the past stability or dynamic fluctuations of the East Antarctic ice sheet with respect to the climate record is, of course, important for understanding how the present ice sheet may respond to global warming.<br/><br/>The specific objective of this project is to determine apatite (U-Th)/He age versus elevation trends for a number of vertical profiles from locations within the Transantarctic Mountain front and across the structural grain of the range. Fission track data already exist for all of these profiles, with apatite fission track ages ranging from 150-30 Ma. The greater precision of the (U-Th)/He technique and the fact it records information at lower temperatures (closure temperature of ~70 degrees Celsius; limits of 40-85 degrees Celsius for the He partial retention zone) will allow examination of the exhumation history of the TAM in more detail from ca 130 Ma to ~20 Ma. Another facet is to examine areas where Cretaceous exhumation is recorded and areas where the fission track profiles indicate periods of thermal and tectonic stability and minimal erosion throughout the Cretaceous. The variation of timing of the onset of more rapid exhumation accompanying uplift and formation of the Transantarctic Mountains in the early Cenozoic will also be examined. | None | None | false | false |