Detrital Zircon Analysis of Permian Victoria Group Sandstones, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

The Beacon Supergroup in the central Transantarctic Mountains, the Gondwana sequence of Antarctica, comprises Devonian (inferred) and Permian-Triassic strata. The latter were deposited in an intracratonic basin which evolved into a foreland basin in mid Permian time. Sedimentary petrology and paleocurrent data indicate that this basin had two major detrital sources, a cratonic source and a volcaniclastic source that characterizes the upper Buckley Formation and younger Triassic beds. In order to investigate the sedimentary provenance further, detrital zircons have been examined from both flanks of the basin. At Clarkson Peak, samples were collected from the lower (quartzose) and upper (volcaniclastic) Buckley Formation. At Mt. Bowers the complete Permian section, from pre-glacial to upper Buckley strata, was collected. Results show varied zircon age provenance, reflecting multiple source regions. In all pre-upper Buckley samples the major zircon provenance is in the 650-480 Ma age range, corresponding to overlapping Ross and Pan African orogenic events, with a subsidiary province of “Grenville age”, ~1000 Ma. These age range variations reflect the influence of multiple sub-provinces. There are also minor contributions from older Proterozoic sources, including a ~1500 Ma source that waned in Fairchild time and is nearly absent in the Buckley Formation. These older Proterozoic zircons were likely sourced from the coast of East Antarctica. A major shift in paleoflow directions between the lower and upper Buckley at both localities is accompanied by a significant input of Permian-age igneous zircons, documenting contemporaneous magmatism and flooding of the basin with detritus from an active magmatic arc. There is also a minor input of ~370 Ma grains which were most likely sourced from Devonian granitoids in West Antarctica.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geological Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Hulett, Sam Rw

Contributors dc:contributor

• Elliot, David

• Geology
• Antarctica
• Beacon
• Permian
• Sandstone Petrology
• Detrital zircon

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1355867143

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1355867143