Paleomagnetism of the Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary Rocks from Fildes Peninsula, West Antarctica, and its Geotectonic Significance

• Main Authors: Chun, Liu, Rixiang, Zhu, Xiangshen, Zheng, Xiaohan, Liu, Zengxin, Jin, Yu, Feng
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 1992
• Subjects: Fildes; Fildes peninsula; Land Glacier; West Antarctica; Advances in Polar Science; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2044/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2044/1/A199201005.pdf

The paleomagnetic m of 109 oriented samples collected from drill cores through 5 rock units of Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary on Fildes Peninsula were systematically studies. According to the study, the paleomagnetic pole position of this area is different from the position of Australia during the 55 - 45 Ma period. This means that when the break - up of the Gondwanaland at 55 - 45 Ma ago. Australia was separated from the Gondwanaland, drifting southward 20° - 30°Lat. and rotating 70°- 80°westward and then gradually arriving at recent position. The paleolatitudinal data indicate that it is not impossible that the area studied was covered with land glacier at that time. The apparent polar wander path of Antarctica through the geological time are also roughly worked out.