High-resolution airborne gravity imaging over James Ross Island (West Antarctica)

James Ross Island (JRI) exposes a Miocene-Recent alkaline basaltic volcanic complex that developed in a back-arc, east of the northern Antarctic Peninsula. JRI has been the focus of several geological studies because it provides a window on Neogene magmatic processes and paleoenvironments. However,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jordan, T.A., Ferraccioli, F., Jones, P.D., Smellie, J.L., Ghidella, M., Corr, H., Zakrajsek, A.F.
Other Authors: Cooper, A.K., Raymond, C.R., ISAES Editorial Team, .
Format: Book Part
Language:unknown
Published: National Academy Press 2007
Subjects:
Earth Sciences
Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
Haddington
Ross Island
Smellie
West Antarctica
Antarc*
Antarctica
James Ross Island
Online Access:http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/15750/
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1047/srp/srp060/of2007-1047srp060.pdf
Description
Summary:James Ross Island (JRI) exposes a Miocene-Recent alkaline basaltic volcanic complex that developed in a back-arc, east of the northern Antarctic Peninsula. JRI has been the focus of several geological studies because it provides a window on Neogene magmatic processes and paleoenvironments. However, little is known about its internal structure. New airborne gravity data were collected as part of the first high-resolution aerogeophysical survey flown over the island and reveal a prominent negative Bouguer gravity anomaly over Mt Haddington. This is intriguing as basaltic volcanoes are typically associated with positive Bouguer anomalies, linked to underlying mafic intrusions. The negative Bouguer anomaly may be associated with a hitherto unrecognised low-density sub-surface body, such as a breccia-filled caldera, or a partially molten magma chamber. Citation: T. A. Jordan, F. Ferraccioli, P. C. Jones, J. L. Smellie

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