Seismic investigation of an isolated sedimentary basin to reconstruct glacially controlled sedimentation processes in the Pine Island Bay, West Antarctica

The study carries out a seismic investigation in an isolated sedimentary basin of the inner Pine Island Bay, offshore Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. Aim of the study is to derive information on glacially controlled sedimentation processes and to gain knowledge about characteristics of the sed...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Schneider, Philip
Format: Thesis
Language:unknown
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/52943/
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/52943/1/Schneider_MSc-thesis_UniBremen_2020_lowres.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.e49bcd1d-66ad-498a-ad9b-bd191fcb5ee7
https://hdl.handle.net/
Description
Summary:The study carries out a seismic investigation in an isolated sedimentary basin of the inner Pine Island Bay, offshore Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. Aim of the study is to derive information on glacially controlled sedimentation processes and to gain knowledge about characteristics of the sedimentary basin. The seismic data employed in the study was recorded on cruise PS104 in 2017. After carrying out of a complete seismic processing, seismic reflection data (paired with bathymetric and Parasound data) is analysed with the aim of then creating a conceptual model of the study area. The investigation reveals a sedimentary basin with up to 300 m horizontally and parallelly deposited sediments, which are strongly consolidated by the earlier overlaying ice sheet. A grounding zone wedge indicates former stillstand of ice sheet in the basin. The crystalline bedrock has up to 90 m deep incisions scoured by meltwater flow. The basin flanks rise up to water depths of ~900 m, while the greatest water depth is ~1070m in the central part of the basin. The all in all successful data processing and investigation of the sedimentary basin provides well interpretable seismic profiles. As a starting point for future work in the study area would be the resolution of the GZW in a high-resolution bathymetric map; research into sediment cores from the consolidated sediments in the basement and the internal structure of the GZW; an age determination for the sediment; and the addition of further seismic lines to carry out a real 3D survey in the sedimentary basin.