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Glacial sediment provenance, dispersal and deposition, Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2003

DAMIAN B. GORE
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australiadamian.gore@mq.edu.au
I. SNAPE
Affiliation:
Human Impacts Program, Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS 7050, Australia
M.R. LEISHMAN
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia

Abstract

Field observations involving landform evaluation and the physical characterization of sediments, combined with a detailed analysis of the spatial distribution of bedrock and sediment geochemical patterns, suggests a limit to the glacial transport half-distance of c. 3 km in Vestfold Hills. Four morphologically distinct glacial deposits were sampled (small debris ridges, large debris ridges, debris drapes and valley fills) on the basis of field geometry. These landforms were subsequently distinguished by grain size, mineralogy and geochemistry. Since there are no nunataks south of Vestfold Hills, all debris is derived subglacially and sedimentological differences are attributed to the physical weathering of preglacial surfaces in Vestfold Hills and fluvial winnowing during deposition. Given that thrust geometries may occur in large debris ridges, glacial transport distances were short, and fluvial sorting of sediments was an important mechanism, reconstructions of glacial histories based on the stratigraphy of deposits in Vestfold Hills should be made with caution.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2003

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