Maceral, Total Organic Carbon, and Palynological Analyses of Ross Ice Shelf Project Site J9 Cores

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Wrenn, John H., Beckman, Scott W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1982
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Ross Ice Shelf; Antarc*; Ice Shelf
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.216.4542.187; https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.216.4542.187

Analyses of macerals and total organic carbon indicate that the low organic content of core sediments from Ross Ice Shelf Project site J9 has been selectively reduced further, probably by postdepositional submarine oxidation. Palynological analysis revealed a reworked Paleogene dinocyst flora of low diversity (the transantarctic flora). This constitutes the most southerly dinocyst flora reported thus far. The antarctic distribution of the transantarctic flora supports the existence of a transantarctic strait during the Paleogene. The J9 sporomorph assemblage also is reworked and Paleogene in age.