Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica
Abstract The South Fork of Wright Valley contains one of the largest rock glaciers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, stretching 7 km from the eastern boundary of the Labyrinth and terminating at Don Juan Pond (DJP). Here, we use results from ground-penetrating radar (GPR), qualitative field ob...
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0954102020000139 2024-03-03T08:38:48+00:00 Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther L. Dickson, James L. Valletta, Rachel D. Schmidt, Daniel F. 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102020000139 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102020000139 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Antarctic Science volume 32, issue 4, page 273-287 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography journal-article 2020 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102020000139 2024-02-08T08:32:46Z Abstract The South Fork of Wright Valley contains one of the largest rock glaciers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, stretching 7 km from the eastern boundary of the Labyrinth and terminating at Don Juan Pond (DJP). Here, we use results from ground-penetrating radar (GPR), qualitative field observations, soil leaching analyses and X-ray diffraction analyses to investigate rock glacier development. The absence of significant clean ice in GPR data, paired with observations of talus and interstitial ice influx from the valley walls, support rock glacier formation via talus accumulation. A quartz-dominated subsurface composition and discontinuous, well-developed desert pavements suggest initial rock glacier formation occurred before the late Quaternary. Major ion data from soil leaching analyses show higher salt concentrations in the rock glacier and talus samples that are close to hypersaline DJP. These observations suggest that DJP acts as a local salt source to the rock glacier, as well as the surrounding talus slopes that host water track systems that deliver solutes back into the lake, suggesting a local feedback system. Finally, the lack of lacustrine sedimentation on the rock glacier is inconsistent with the advance of a glacially dammed lake into South Fork during the Last Glacial Maximum. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Cambridge University Press McMurdo Dry Valleys Dammed Lake ENVELOPE(-68.258,-68.258,68.496,68.496) Wright Valley ENVELOPE(161.833,161.833,-77.517,-77.517) South Fork ENVELOPE(161.250,161.250,-77.567,-77.567) Labyrinth ENVELOPE(160.833,160.833,-77.550,-77.550) Don Juan Pond ENVELOPE(161.183,161.183,-77.567,-77.567) Antarctic Science 32 4 273 287 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther L. Dickson, James L. Valletta, Rachel D. Schmidt, Daniel F. Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
description |
Abstract The South Fork of Wright Valley contains one of the largest rock glaciers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, stretching 7 km from the eastern boundary of the Labyrinth and terminating at Don Juan Pond (DJP). Here, we use results from ground-penetrating radar (GPR), qualitative field observations, soil leaching analyses and X-ray diffraction analyses to investigate rock glacier development. The absence of significant clean ice in GPR data, paired with observations of talus and interstitial ice influx from the valley walls, support rock glacier formation via talus accumulation. A quartz-dominated subsurface composition and discontinuous, well-developed desert pavements suggest initial rock glacier formation occurred before the late Quaternary. Major ion data from soil leaching analyses show higher salt concentrations in the rock glacier and talus samples that are close to hypersaline DJP. These observations suggest that DJP acts as a local salt source to the rock glacier, as well as the surrounding talus slopes that host water track systems that deliver solutes back into the lake, suggesting a local feedback system. Finally, the lack of lacustrine sedimentation on the rock glacier is inconsistent with the advance of a glacially dammed lake into South Fork during the Last Glacial Maximum. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther L. Dickson, James L. Valletta, Rachel D. Schmidt, Daniel F. |
author_facet |
Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther L. Dickson, James L. Valletta, Rachel D. Schmidt, Daniel F. |
author_sort |
Winsor, Kelsey |
title |
Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica |
title_short |
Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica |
title_full |
Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica |
title_sort |
origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near don juan pond, wright valley, antarctica |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102020000139 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102020000139 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-68.258,-68.258,68.496,68.496) ENVELOPE(161.833,161.833,-77.517,-77.517) ENVELOPE(161.250,161.250,-77.567,-77.567) ENVELOPE(160.833,160.833,-77.550,-77.550) ENVELOPE(161.183,161.183,-77.567,-77.567) |
geographic |
McMurdo Dry Valleys Dammed Lake Wright Valley South Fork Labyrinth Don Juan Pond |
geographic_facet |
McMurdo Dry Valleys Dammed Lake Wright Valley South Fork Labyrinth Don Juan Pond |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
op_source |
Antarctic Science volume 32, issue 4, page 273-287 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102020000139 |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
32 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
273 |
op_container_end_page |
287 |
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1792507251362103296 |