Carbonate preservation in the Western Ross Sea continental slope (Antarctica)

• Main Authors: Geniram Andrea, Melis Romana, Capotondi Lucilla, Ferretti Patrizia, Gerhard Kuhn, Torricella Fiorenza, Kyu Cheul Yoo, Boo-Keun Khim, Colizza Ester
• Other Authors: Borghini Alessandra, Cirilli Omar, Peri Emanuele, Bartolini Lucenti Saverio, Collareta Alberto, Geniram, Andrea, Melis, Romana, Capotondi, Lucilla, Ferretti, Patrizia, Gerhard, Kuhn, Torricella, Fiorenza, Kyu Cheul, Yoo, Boo-Keun, Khim, Colizza, Ester
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Fossilia 2020
• Subjects: Antarctica; Ross Sea; Foraminifera; Carbonate preservation; Antarctic; Hallett; Hallett Ridge; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Ice Sheet; Ice Shelf; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11368/2995075

The continental margin areas of Antarctica are key sectors to understand the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) behavior during glacial and interglacial period. Only few intervals of well-preserved foraminifera were recovered. This affects the validation of models about the evolution of the ice sheet/shelf and doesn’t permit the construction of reliable age models. The preliminary study of one core (KI13-C2) and two box-cores (KI13-bc3 and HLF16-5b) is presented here, with the aim to evidence the occurrence of a carbonate-rich interval also on the Hallett Ridge deposited during the late MIS2. This occurrence can be correlated with the other ones identified in cores collected along the WRS continental slope providing insights about a large-scale break-up of the Ice Shelf/sea ice.