The Triassic–Cretaceous Tectonomagmatic History of the Antarctic Peninsula constrained by Geochronology, Thermochronology and Isotope Geochemistry

This thesis presents new geochronological, thermochronological, geochemical and isotopic data from igneous and meta-igneous rock samples from the Antarctic Peninsula during the Mesozoic. This crustal block, part of West Antarctica, has a long tectonic and magmatic history, complex topography and dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bastias Silva, Miguel Joaquin
Other Authors: Spikings, Richard Alan
Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
Language:English
Published: Université de Genève 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:143280
https://doi.org/10.13097/archive-ouverte/unige:143280
Description
Summary:This thesis presents new geochronological, thermochronological, geochemical and isotopic data from igneous and meta-igneous rock samples from the Antarctic Peninsula during the Mesozoic. This crustal block, part of West Antarctica, has a long tectonic and magmatic history, complex topography and distinct geological provinces. Furthermore, the Antarctic Peninsula has been affected by complex convergent margin processes and defies simple classification as a convergent margin, magmatic arc or rifted continental margin. A new quantitative dataset is presented that includes analyses of (i) U-Pb zircon dates, (ii) zircon Lu-Hf isotopes, (iii) zircon O isotopes, (iv) Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes, (v) U-Pb apatite thermochronology and (vi) whole-rock geochemistry. This new dataset provides solid foundations for investigating the geological history of the Antarctic Peninsula and southwestern Gondwana, and they are used to construct a new model for the tectonic evolution of the margin of the Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia during the late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic.