Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data
The Wilkes Subglacial Basin, in the hinterland of the Transantarctic Mountains, represents one of the least understood continental-scale features in Antarctica. Aeromagnetic data suggests that this basin may be imposed on a Ross age back arc region adjacent to the East Antarctic Craton. However, the...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:500147 2024-02-11T09:58:43+01:00 Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data Jordan, T.A. Ferraccioli, F. Armadillo, E. Bozzo, E. 2013-02-11 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/500147/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041 unknown Elsevier Jordan, T.A. orcid:0000-0003-2780-1986 Ferraccioli, F. orcid:0000-0002-9347-4736 Armadillo, E.; Bozzo, E. 2013 Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data. Tectonophysics, 585. 196-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041 2024-01-19T00:03:13Z The Wilkes Subglacial Basin, in the hinterland of the Transantarctic Mountains, represents one of the least understood continental-scale features in Antarctica. Aeromagnetic data suggests that this basin may be imposed on a Ross age back arc region adjacent to the East Antarctic Craton. However, the evolution of the deeper crustal structure is disputed. Here, we present new airborne gravity data that reveals the crustal architecture of the northern Wilkes Subglacial Basin. Our gravity models indicate that the crust under the northern Wilkes Subglacial Basin is 30–35 km thick, i.e. ca 5–10 km thinner than imaged under the Transantarctic Mountains, and ~ 15 km thinner than predicted from some flexural and seismic models in the southern Wilkes Basin. We suggest that crustal thickening under northern Victoria Land reflects Ross-age (ca 500 Ma) orogenic events. Airy isostatic anomalies along both flanks of the Wilkes Basin reveal major inherited tectonic structures, which likely controlled the basin location, supporting aeromagnetic interpretations of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin as a structurally controlled basin. The positive anomaly along the western margin of the basin defines the boundary between the East Antarctic Craton and the Ross Orogen, and the anomaly along its eastern flank likely reflects high-grade rocks of the central Wilson Terrane. Our models indicate that the crust is ~ 5 km thinner beneath the northern Wilkes Basin, compared to formerly contiguous segments of the Delamerian Orogen in south-eastern Australia. The thinner crust may be linked to: i) back-arc basin formation or orogenic collapse processes and segmentation within the Ross\Delamerian Orogen, ii) Jurassic to Cretaceous extension prior to break-up between Australia and East Antarctica, iii) Cenozoic glacial erosion or most likely, iv) a combination of these processes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Victoria Land Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic East Antarctica Transantarctic Mountains Victoria Land Wilkes Subglacial Basin ENVELOPE(145.000,145.000,-75.000,-75.000) Tectonophysics 585 196 206 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
unknown |
description |
The Wilkes Subglacial Basin, in the hinterland of the Transantarctic Mountains, represents one of the least understood continental-scale features in Antarctica. Aeromagnetic data suggests that this basin may be imposed on a Ross age back arc region adjacent to the East Antarctic Craton. However, the evolution of the deeper crustal structure is disputed. Here, we present new airborne gravity data that reveals the crustal architecture of the northern Wilkes Subglacial Basin. Our gravity models indicate that the crust under the northern Wilkes Subglacial Basin is 30–35 km thick, i.e. ca 5–10 km thinner than imaged under the Transantarctic Mountains, and ~ 15 km thinner than predicted from some flexural and seismic models in the southern Wilkes Basin. We suggest that crustal thickening under northern Victoria Land reflects Ross-age (ca 500 Ma) orogenic events. Airy isostatic anomalies along both flanks of the Wilkes Basin reveal major inherited tectonic structures, which likely controlled the basin location, supporting aeromagnetic interpretations of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin as a structurally controlled basin. The positive anomaly along the western margin of the basin defines the boundary between the East Antarctic Craton and the Ross Orogen, and the anomaly along its eastern flank likely reflects high-grade rocks of the central Wilson Terrane. Our models indicate that the crust is ~ 5 km thinner beneath the northern Wilkes Basin, compared to formerly contiguous segments of the Delamerian Orogen in south-eastern Australia. The thinner crust may be linked to: i) back-arc basin formation or orogenic collapse processes and segmentation within the Ross\Delamerian Orogen, ii) Jurassic to Cretaceous extension prior to break-up between Australia and East Antarctica, iii) Cenozoic glacial erosion or most likely, iv) a combination of these processes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jordan, T.A. Ferraccioli, F. Armadillo, E. Bozzo, E. |
spellingShingle |
Jordan, T.A. Ferraccioli, F. Armadillo, E. Bozzo, E. Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data |
author_facet |
Jordan, T.A. Ferraccioli, F. Armadillo, E. Bozzo, E. |
author_sort |
Jordan, T.A. |
title |
Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data |
title_short |
Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data |
title_full |
Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data |
title_fullStr |
Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data |
title_sort |
crustal architecture of the wilkes subglacial basin in east antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/500147/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(145.000,145.000,-75.000,-75.000) |
geographic |
Antarctic East Antarctica Transantarctic Mountains Victoria Land Wilkes Subglacial Basin |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic East Antarctica Transantarctic Mountains Victoria Land Wilkes Subglacial Basin |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Victoria Land |
op_relation |
Jordan, T.A. orcid:0000-0003-2780-1986 Ferraccioli, F. orcid:0000-0002-9347-4736 Armadillo, E.; Bozzo, E. 2013 Crustal architecture of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, as revealed from airborne gravity data. Tectonophysics, 585. 196-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.06.041 |
container_title |
Tectonophysics |
container_volume |
585 |
container_start_page |
196 |
op_container_end_page |
206 |
_version_ |
1790594464426754048 |