Geology and Seismic Stratigraphy of the Antarctic Margin

329 Pages·1997·411.09 MB·English

by  Alan K. Cooper

ANTARCTIC
RESEARCH
American Geophysical Union
SERIES
Physical Sciences MARINE GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL ATLAS
OF THE CIRCUM-ANTARCTIC TO 30°S
ANTARCTIC OCEANOLOGY Dennis E. Hayes, Editor
Joseph L. Reid, Editor MOLLUSCAN SYSTEMATICS AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHY
ANTARCTIC OCEANOLOGY II: THE AUSTRALIAN- Jeffrey D. Stilwell and William J. Zinsmeister
NEW ZEALAND SECTOR THE ANTARCTIC PALEOENVIRONMENT: A PERSPECTIVE
Dennis E. Hayes, Editor ON GLOBAL CHANGE
James P. Kennett and Detlef A. Warnke, Editors
PHYSICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN
ANTARCTIC SNOW AND ICE STUDIES ANTARCTIC LAKES
Malcolm Mellor, Editor William J. Green and E. Imre Friedmann, Editors
ANTARCTIC SNOW AND ICE STUDIES II THE ANTARCTIC PALEOENVIRONMENT: A PERSPECTIVE
A. P. Crary, Editor ON GLOBAL CHANGE PART 2
James P. Kennett and Detlef A. Warnke, Editors
ANTARCTIC METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY:
ANTARCTIC SOILS AND SOIL FORMING PROCESSES STUDIES BASED ON AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS
J. C. F. Tedrow, Editor David H. Bromwich and Charles R. Stearns, Editors
DRY VALLEY DRILLING PROJECT ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION IN ANTARCTICA:
L. D. McGinnis, Editor MEASUREMENTS AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN NORTHERN C. Susan Weiler and Polly A. Penhale, Editors
VICTORIA LAND ATMOSPHERIC HALOS
Edmund Stump, Editor Walter Tape
GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC FOSSIL SCLERACTINIAN CORALS FROM JAMES ROSS
Jarvis B. Hadley, Editor BASIN, ANTARCTICA
GEOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL TRANSANTARCTIC Harry F. Filkorn
MOUNTAINS VOLCANOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OF
Mort D. Turner and John F. Splettstoesser, MOUNT EREBUS, ANTARCTICA
Editors Philip R. Kyle, Editor
GEOMAGNETISM AND AERONOMY GEOLOGY AND SEISMIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE
A. H. Waynick, Editor ANTARCTIC MARGIN
METEOROLOGICAL STUDIES AT PLATEAU STATION, Alan K. Cooper, Peter F. Barker, and
ANTARCTICA Guiliano Brancolini, Editors
Joost A. Businger, Editor
OCEANOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC CONTINENTAL SHELF
Stanley S. Jacobs, Editor CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTARCTIC RESEARCH I
STUDIES IN ANTARCTIC METEOROLOGY David H. Elliot, Editor
Morton J. Rubin, Editor CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTARCTIC RESEARCH II
UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH IN ANTARCTICA David H. Elliot, Editor
L. J. Lanzerotti and C. G. Park, Editors CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTARCTIC RESEARCH III
THE ROSS ICE SHELF: GLACIOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS David H. Elliot, Editor
C. R. Bentley and D. E. Hayes, Editors CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTARCTIC RESEARCH IV
VOLCANOES OF THE ANTARCTIC PLATE AND SOUTHERN David H. Elliot and George L. Blaisdell, Editors
OCEANS
W. E. LeMasurier and J. T. Thomson, Editors
MINERAL RESOURCES POTENTIAL OF ANTARCTICA
John F. Splettstoesser and Gisela A. M. Dreschhoff,
Editors
ANTARCTIC
American Geophysical Union RESEARCH
SERIES
Biological and Life Sciences ANTARCTIC TERRESTRIAL BIOLOGY
George A. Llano, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS TERRESTRIAL BIOLOGY II
Milton O. Lee, Editor Bruce Parker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS II TERRESTRIAL BIOLOGY III
George A. Llano, Editor Bruce Parker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS III
George A. Llano and Waldo L. Schmitt, Editors
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS IV ANTARCTIC ASCIDIACEA
George A. Llano and I. Eugene Wallen, Editors Patricia Kott
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS V ANTARCTIC BIRD STUDIES
David L. Pawson, Editor Oliver L. Austin, Jr., Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS VI ANTARCTIC PINNIPEDIA
David L. Pawson, Editor William Henry Burt, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS VII ANTARCTIC CIRRIPEDIA
David L. Pawson, Editor William A. Newman and Arnold Ross
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS VIII BIRDS OF THE ANTARCTIC AND SUB-ANTARCTIC
David L. Pawson and Louis S. Kornicker, Editors George E. Watson
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS IX ENTOMOLOGY OF ANTARCTICA
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor J. Linsley Gressitt, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS X HUMAN ADAPTABILITY TO ANTARCTIC CONDITIONS
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor E. K. Eric Gunderson, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XI POLYCHAETA ERRANTIA OF ANTARCTICA
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor Olga Hartman
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XII POLYCHAETA MYZOSTOMIDAE AND SEDENTIARIA OF
David L. Pawson, Editor ANTARCTICA
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XIII Olga Hartman
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor RECENT ANTARCTIC AND SUBANTARCTIC BRACHIOPODS
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XIV Merrill W. Foster
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor ANTARCTIC AND SUBANTARCTIC PYCNOGONIDA:
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XV AMMOTHEIDAE AND AUSTRODECIDAE
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor Stephen D. Cairns, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XVI
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XVII
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XVIII
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XIX
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XX
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XXI
Louis S. Kornicker, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XXII
Stephen D. Cairns, Editor
BIOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS XXIII
Stephen D. Cairns, Editor
ANTARCTIC
Volume 68
RESEARCH
SERIES
Geology and Seismic Stratigraphy
of the Antarctic Margin
Alan K. Cooper
Peter F. Barker
Giuliano Brancolini
Editors
hso American Geophysical Union
Washington, D.C.
1995
ANTARCTIC
Volume 68 RESEARCH
SERIES
GEOLOGY AND SEISMIC STRATIGRAPHY
OF THE ANTARCTIC MARGIN
Alan K. Cooper, Peter F. Barker, and
Giuliano Brancolini, Editors
Published under the aegis of the
Board of Associate Editors, Antarctic Research Series
Rodney M. Feldmann, Chairman
John B. Anderson, Robert Bindschadler,
David H. Bromwich, Nelia W. Dunbar
Stanley S. Jacobs, Jerry D. Kudenov, John Priscu
Geology and seismic stratigraphy of the Antarctic margin / Alan K.
Cooper, Peter F. Barker, Giuliano Brancolini, editors,
p. cm. ~ (Antarctic research series ; v. 68)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-87590-884-5
1. Geology—Antarctica—Ross Sea. 2. Geophysics—Antarctica—Ross
Sea. 3. Continental margins—Antarctic regions—Ross Sea.
4. Geology, Stratigraphic. I. Cooper, Alan K. II. Barker, Peter
F. III. Brancolini, Giuliano. IV. Series.
QE350.G453 1995
559.8'9-dc20 95-43568
CIP
ISBN 0-87590-884-5
ISSN 0066-4634
Copyright 1995 by the American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
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Published by
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With the aid of grant OPP-9414962
from the National Science
Foundation
Printed in the United States of America.
CONTENTS
The Antarctic Research Series: Statement of Objectives
Board of Associate Editors ix
Preface
Alan K Cooper, Peter F. Barker, and Giuliano Brancolini xi
Morphology and Stratal Geometry of the Antarctic Continental Shelf: Insights From Models
Uri S. ten Brink, Christopher Schneider, and Aaron H Johnson 1
The Proximal Marine Sediment Record of Antarctic Climate Since the Late Miocene
Peter F. Barker 25
Seismic Stratigraphy of the Larsen Basin, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula
B. J. Sloan, L. A. Lawver, and J. B. Anderson 59
Seismic Record of Glacial Events Affecting the Pacific Margin of the Northwestern
Antarctic Peninsula
Philip J. Bart and John B. Anderson 75
Deep-Tow Boomer Survey on the Antarctic Peninsula Pacific Margin: An Investigation of the
Morphology and Acoustic Characteristics of Late Quaternary Sedimentary Deposits on the Outer
Continental Shelf and Upper Slope
Lieve E. Vanneste and Robert D. Larter 97
Seismic Facies Investigation of the Late Quaternary Glacial History of Bransfield Basin, Antarctica
Laura A. Banfield and John B. Anderson 123
The Roles of Downslope and Along-Slope Depositional Processes: Southern Antarctic Peninsula
Continental Rise
John P. McGinnis and Dennis E. Hayes 141
Tectonic Deformation in the Upper Crust and Sediments at the South Shetland Trench
Y. Kim, H.-S. Kim, R. D. Larter, A. Camerlenghi, L. A. P. Gamboa, andS. Rudowski 157
The Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic Structural Setting of the Ross Sea Region
F. J. Davey and G Brancolini 167
Geology of the Margin of the Victoria Land Basin off Cape Roberts, Southwest Ross Sea
P. J. Barrett, S. A. Henrys, L. R. Bartek, G Brancolini, M. Busetti, F. J. Davey,
M. J. Hannah, and A. R Pyne 183
Seismic Facies and Glacial History in the Western Ross Sea (Antarctica)
Giuliano Brancolini, Alan K Cooper, and Franco Coren 209
Seismic Record of Late Oligocene Through Miocene Glaciation on the Central and Eastern
Continental Shelf of the Ross Sea
Laura De Santis, John B. Anderson, Giuliano Brancolini, and Igor Zayatz 235
Seismic Velocity Expression of Glacial Sedimentary Rocks Beneath the Ross Sea From Sonobuoy
Seismic-Refraction Data
Guy R. Cochrane, Laura De Santis, and Alan K. Cooper 261
Appendix
Descriptive Text for the Seismic Stratigraphic Atlas of the Ross Sea, Antarctica
G. Brancolini, M. Busetti, A. Marchetti, L. De Santis, C Zanolla, A. K. Cooper, G. R. Cochrane,
I. Zayatz, V. Belyaev, M. Knyazev, O. Vinnikovskaya, F. J. Davey, andK. Hinz All I
Description of CD-ROM Digital Data: Seismic Stratigraphic Atlas of the Ross Sea, Antarctica,
and Circum-Antarctic Seismic Navigation
J. R. Childs, A. K. Cooper, R. Sliter, G. R. Cochrane, M. Busetti, A. Marchetti, G Brancolini,
C Zanolla, F. J. Davey, A. P. Cunningham, P. E. O'Brien, and W. Jokat A287
The ANTOSTRAT Antarctic Peninsula Regional Working Group Digital Navigation Compilation
Alex P. Cunningham, Lieve E. Vanneste, and the ANTOSTRAT Antarctic Peninsula
Regional Working Group A297
Recommended formats and examples for
referencing the components of this
volume can be found on page A303.
PREFACE
The Antarctic Ice Sheet has greatly affected global Group of Specialists on Cenozoic Paleoenvironments of
climate, sea level, ocean circulation, and southern the Southern High Latitudes. During the data collation
hemisphere biota during Cenozoic times. Much of our phase of ANTOSTRAT, the 13 countries that owned
understanding of the evolution of the ice sheet has been multichannel seismic-reflection (MCS) data agreed to
inferred from isotopic studies on distant deep-ocean establish and contribute data to a Seismic Data Library
sediments, because few Cenozoic rocks are exposed on System for Cooperative Research. The library system
the Antarctic continent. Yet, large differences occur was adopted as a formal Recommendation of the
between past ice volumes inferred from isotopic studies Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, and now provides
and those inferred from low-latitude sea-level variation. open access to the MCS data upon which many ANTO­
The massive quantities of glacially transported ter­ STRAT studies are based. To facilitate scientific
rigenous sediments that lie beneath the Antarctic conti­ collaboration further, ANTOSTRAT established five
nental margin provide an additional, more direct record regional working groups for areas where numerous data
of the inferred ice sheet fluctuations. Volume 68 sets had been collected by different countries over the
addresses the history of ice sheet fluctuations as record­ vast glacial sediment depocenters of the margin (i.e.,
ed by geological and geophysical investigations of Antarctic Peninsula, Ross Sea, Wilkes Land, Prydz
selected areas of the Antarctic continental margin. As Bay, Weddell Sea). Each working group was responsi­
described below, the volume gives data and results from ble for organizing and interpreting the data sets to
on-going research by a major multinational project investigate the specific geologic conditions of that
directed toward better understanding the impact of region. The ultimate objective of the ANTOSTRAT
Antarctic Ice Sheet fluctuations on global sea levels and project was to combine results from all parts of the
climates. continental margin and to improve understanding of the
Geologic and geophysical studies of the Antarctic history of Antarctic Ice Sheet fluctuations and of the
continental margin have been conducted since the time geologic and paleoceanographic processes that control
of the International Geophysical Year, in 1959. Bathy- and result from such movements.
metric measurements, sea-floor sediment cores, and This volume presents results from the first 5 years
high- resolution seismic reflection profiles have provid­ of studies by the ANTOSTRAT project. The papers
ed a detailed view of the shallow parts of the sedimenta­ herein are based on presentations given at the Interna­
ry section. Multichannel seismic reflection studies, with tional ANTOSTRAT Symposium attended by 85 re­
over 150,000 km of data recorded by more than 13 searchers from 20 countries, in Siena, Italy in August
countries since 1978, penetrate the deepest parts of 1994. Geoscientists with broad expertise in polar and
these sections. Drilling has taken place at only a few low-latitude processes on continental margins attended.
sites on the continental margin, and provides tantalizing The presentations, forums, and discussions covered all
evidence that grounded ice sheets have reached the aspects of geosphere-cryosphere interaction, as recorded
continental shelf edge episodically in some places since in Cenozoic strata of the continental margins and
at least early Oligocene time, that climates have been adjacent areas, with emphasis on the five working
highly varied and large relative sea-level fluctuations are regions. The cryosphere adds a further dimension of
likely. complexity to the geologic evolution of polar continental
Recognizing that vast data sets had been collected margins, and new models of ice and sediment move­
offshore Antarctica, and could be used to help resolve ment under variable climatic and geologic conditions
the history of Cenozoic ice-sheet and sea-level fluctua­ were presented. Crucial to these models are concepts of
tions, the international community launched the Antarc­ how the massive prograding sedimentary bodies that lie
tic Offshore Acoustic Stratigraphy (ANTOSTRAT) beneath the outer continental shelf have been deposited
project in 1990 to locate, collate, combine, and interpret during periods of expanded ice sheets and during times
these data sets. The project is under the auspices of the of little or no grounded ice. The discussions in Siena
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) culminated with the regional working groups formulat-
xi
ing plans by which future drilling could target areas of nations in implementing the Antarctic Seismic Data
the continental margin that would resolve many current Library System for Cooperative Research, as described
debates about climatic history (e.g., a warm Pliocene) in Eos Transactions AGU (volume 76(10), page 101,
and times of development of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. 1995).
The drilling plans are being forwarded to the Ocean The volume has 13 science papers that concentrate
Drilling Program and other national programs, for on the themes of ANTOSTRAT in the Ross Sea and
consideration as future international cooperative sam­ Antarctic Peninsula regions. The studies cover a broad
pling programs. Abstracts for the symposium can be range of topics, and are based principally on seismic
found in Terra Antarctica (volume 1(2), pages 235-480, reflection data and sediment cores newly collected and
1994), and a summary of the symposium appeared in compiled in these areas. The Ross Sea papers concen­
Eos Transactions AGU (volume 76(10), pages 97 and trate on using the new "atlas" maps and seismic profiles
101, 1995). to interpret Cenozoic glacial history. Papers on the
This volume is also an experiment in multi-format Antarctic Peninsula region examine geologic processes
collaborative publication. It is designed to report new based on new compilations and interpretations of
science results, and to promote and facilitate future high-resolution and deep-penetration seismic data. One
international cooperative research projects among paper presents an innovative model-concept by which
interested researchers outside the Antarctic community the random fluctuations of grounded ice sheets and
and authors from institutions that now own, and will entrained sediment can create the bathymetric profile
continue to collect Antarctic geoscience data. The and underlying stratal geometries of the Antarctic
volume has several parts: (1) a collection of traditional continental shelf. All papers deal to varying degrees
science papers; (2) a seismic stratigraphic atlas that with the principal aim of ANTOSTRAT—to understand
includes a text description and paper images of more better the fluctuations of the Cenozoic Antarctic Ice
than 45 maps, seismic reflection profiles, and drill-site Sheet and their signature in the geologic record from the
correlations for the Ross Sea; and (3) two CD-ROMs circum-Antarctic continental margin.
that contain the digital data from which the atlas text,
maps, and seismic reflection profiles were made; digital
Alan K. Cooper
navigation data for all multichannel seismic reflection
U.S. Geological Survey
profiles from the five ANTOSTRAT regional working
Menlo Park, California
areas are also included. Groups from six countries
(France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United States)
Peter F. Barker
have generously contributed digital multichannel seismic
British Antarctic Survey
reflection data, and more than 20 countries have given
Cambridge, United Kingdom
navigation data. The data have been contributed with the
expectation that access to such data would help educate
Giuliano Brancolini
students and scientists, and would stimulate creative
Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale
cooperative research projects to further our understand­
Trieste, Italy
ing of the Antarctic geosphere and cryosphere. The
same concept has been adopted by the Antarctic Treaty
Editors
xii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to thank the many colleagues who have helped through their reviews of the
papers, maps, and CD-ROMs contributed to the volume: J. Anderson, J. Austin, P.
Barrett, J. Barron, L Bartek, C. Bentley, J. Bialas, R. Bohannon, H. Borns, T. Bruns,
P. Carlson, G. Cochrane, M. Coffin, F. Davey, M. De Batist, D. Dinter, E. Domack,
S. Eittreim, S. Henrys, H. Josenhans, E. King, K. Klepeis, Y. Kristoffersen, B. Kuvaas,
L. Lawver, W. LeMasurier, S. Lewis, D. MacDonald, H. Miller, T. Shipley, B. Sloan,
M. Stoker, D. Stow, J. Syvitski, U. ten Brink, A. Trehu, B. Tucholke, D. van der
Wateren, and P. Webb. Publication of the volume was made possible by the generous
support of many agencies. Principal ancillary funding for producing the hardback book
was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Most funding for producing and
printing the atlas was from Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale (OGS, Italy), and for the
CD-ROMs was from the U.S. Geological Survey. We thank Cesare Roda and Sergio
Persoglia of OGS for the long-term financial and technical support required to produce
the atlas. The senior editor (A.K.C.) appreciates the help of the U.S. Geological Survey,
National Science Foundation (grant OPP 9319220), and Scientific Committee on Antarctic
Research (SCAR) in supporting the ANTOSTRAT symposium, on which the volume is
based, and the lengthy editorial process leading to completion of the volume. We
appreciate the ongoing support of Scott Borg of the National Science Foundation and
Carlo Alberto Ricci on behalf of the Italian National Antarctic Research Programme in
facilitating the activities of the ANTOSTRAT project. We thank David Elliot for his
constructive help as oversight editor in producing the volume.