Airborne geophysics as a tool for geoscientific research in Antarctica: some recent examples

• Main Authors: Ferraccioli, Fausto, Jones, P.C., Leat, Philip, Jordan, Tom A.
• Other Authors: Cooper, A.K., Raymond, C.R.
• Format: Book Part
• Language: unknown
• Published: National Academy Press 2007
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Electronics; Engineering and Technology; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Coats Land; Dronning Maud Land; Pacific; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; British Antarctic Survey
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/13738/; http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1047/srp/srp056/of2007-1047srp056.pdf

The polar regions play an important role in Earth's geodynamic and climatic systems. Modern airborne geophysical surveys combine radio-echo sounding, aeromagnetic and aerogravity methods to explore the geology of these regions. This paper reviews some recent aerogeophysical investigations undertaken by the British Antarctic Survey to: 1) Image subglacial rifts of Jurassic age in western Dronning Maud Land, which were associated with early Gondwana break-up; 2) Investigate crustal growth over the Antarctic Peninsula by Cretaceous arc magmatism and terrane accretion along the paleo-Pacific margin of Gondwana; 3) Analyse geological boundary conditions for presentday ice dynamics over Coats Land.