Has the formation of a slab window below the Antarctic Peninsula controlled its topographic evolution? ...

This thesis presents apatite (U-Th)/He and apatite fission-track thermochronology data to understand spatial and temporal changes in rock uplift and exhumation along and across the Antarctic Peninsula to determine how and when its high elevation developed. This is important to test tectonic models a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Twinn, Gary Peter
Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
Language:unknown
Published: Birkbeck, University of London 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.18743/pub.00053226
https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/53226
Description
Summary:This thesis presents apatite (U-Th)/He and apatite fission-track thermochronology data to understand spatial and temporal changes in rock uplift and exhumation along and across the Antarctic Peninsula to determine how and when its high elevation developed. This is important to test tectonic models and to understand the elevation history as a precursor to ice nucleation and expansion in the Cenozoic. Easterly-directed subduction of the Phoenix Plate, including ridge-trench collisions, has been taking place along its western margin since the Late Cretaceous. Data from four east-west transects show how cooling rates varied with distance from the trench as well as with respect to the timing of the ridge-trench collisions on a south-north basis. Eastern Palmer Land preserves a record of uplift during the Late Cretaceous that coincides with changes in Phoenix Plate convergence rates and direction. In contrast, western Palmer Land and Alexander Island experienced a period of increased rates of cooling between c. 25 ...