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Interpretation of airborne geophysical data acquired during PCMEGA

Entry ID: ASAC_2561

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Summary

Abstract: Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 2561
See the link below for public details on this project.

The project aims to investigate the multidimensional sub-surface structures in the southern Prince Charles Mountains using the airborne geophysical data acquired during Prince Charles Mountains Expedition of Germany-Australia (PCMEGA). This will be of national significance as it will identify ... continental geological processes occurring in Australia-Antarctica, prior to and during their separation ~120 million years ago, and relate them to present day observations.

Taken from the abstracts of the referenced papers:

Geological exposures in the Lambert Rift region of East Antarctica comprise scattered coastal outcrops and inland nunataks sporadically protruding through the Antarctic ice sheet from Prydz Bay to the southernmost end of the Prince Charles Mountains. This study utilised airborne magnetic, gravity, and ice radar data to interpret the distribution and architecture of tectonic terranes that are largely buried beneath the thick ice sheet. Free-air and Bouger gravity data are highly influenced by the subice and mantle topography, respectively. Gravity stripping facilitated the removal of the effect of ice and Moho, and the residual gravity data set thus obtained for the intermediate crustal level allowed a direct comparison with magnetic data. Interpretation of geophysical data also provided insight into the distribution and geometry of four tectonic blocks: namely, the Vestfold, Beaver, Mawson, and Gamburtsev domains. These tectonic domains are supported by surface observations such as rock descriptions, isotopic data sets, and structural mapping.

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Three dimensional modelling of airborne magnetic data acquired in the Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica, provides an insight into the sub-ice distribution, and three-dimensional geometry of a Neoproterozoic sedimentary basin. A three-dimensional starting model was created from two two-dimensional GM-SYS modelling and our current geological understanding of the study area. Three-dimensional VPmg inversion modelling was performed on the aeromagnetic data to obtain an acceptable fit between the observed response collected in the field, and the calculated response of the three dimensional model. Modelling suggests that the base of the basin undulates and is relatively unstructured, however the margins of the basin thicken from north (~4 km) to south (~11 km). The volume of the Sodruzhestvo Group that in-fills the sedimentary basin has been calculated at approximately 35,000 cubic kilometres. Modelling of Banded Iron Formations at the southern margin of the basin and a sharp magnetic contrast in the north, reveal that both contacts dip toward the south. We interpret this asymmetric geometry of the sedimentary basin as having began as a set of half grabens, bounded by an underlying listric fault that flattened at depth below the sedimentary basin. Subsequent Early Palaeozoic inversion of this structure resulted in reactivation along the low-angle basal detachment, but rather than taking its original course underneath the sedimentary basin, the fault ramped up along the southern margin. This process caused exhumation of the underlying Banded Iron Formations, which are now juxtaposed at similar crustal levels to the Neoproterozoic cover rocks.

Related URL

Link: VIEW PROJECT HOME PAGE

Description: Public information for ASAC project 2561

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

N: -65.0

S: -70.0

E: 70.0

W: 60.0

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2004-10-01

Stop Date: 2006-03-31

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > Prince Charles Mountains

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Science Keywords

SOLID EARTH > GRAVITY/GRAVITATIONAL FIELD

SOLID EARTH > GEOMAGNETISM

SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES

SOLID EARTH > ROCKS/MINERALS/CRYSTALS

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA

CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

Platform

AWOS > Automated Weather Observing System

Instrument

AWS > Automated Weather System

Quality Missing ten minutes of data due to station service between 2004-12-03, 07:27:24.0 and 2004-12-03, 7:37:23

Access Constraints These data are publicly available for download from the provided URL.

Use Constraints This data set conforms to the PICCCBY Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference provided at http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/metadata/citation.cfm?entry_id=ASAC_2386 when using these data.

Ancillary Keywords

CLIMATE CHANGE

DATE

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Data Center

Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia

Data Center URL: http://data.aad.gov.au

Data Center Personnel
Name: DATA OFFICER AADC Phone: +61 3 6232 3244 Fax: +61 3 6232 3351 Email: metadata at aad.gov.au Contact Address: Australian Antarctic Division 203 Channel Highway City: Kingston Province or State: Tasmania Postal Code: 7050 Country: Australia

Distribution

Distribution Media: HTTP

Distribution Size: 4,580 kb

Distribution Format: excel

Fees: free

Personnel

HAMISH MCGOWAN

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Role: DIF AUTHOR

Phone: +61 7 3365 6651

Fax: +61 7 3365 6899

Email: h.mcgowan at uq.edu.au

Contact Address:

DEPT OF GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

BUILDING 35 - CHAMBERLAIN BLDG

City: Brisbane

Province or State: Queensland

Postal Code: 4072

Country: Australia

Publications/References

Speirs, J.C. McGowan, H.A. Neil, D.T. (2008), Meteorological controls on sand transport and dune morphology in a polar-desert: Victoria Valley, Antarctica., Earth surface processes and landforms, 33, 12, 1875-1891, doi:doi: 10.1002/esp.1739

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2003-05-26

Last DIF Revision Date: 2012-10-12

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