New aerogeophysical view of the Antarctic Peninsula: More pieces, less puzzle

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. L05310 - n/a
• Main Authors: Ferraccioli, F., Jones, P. C., Vaughan, A. P. M., Leat, P. T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Geophysical Union 01.03.2006; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Antarctica; Continental margins; convergent; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Exploration Geophysics; Geographic Location; Gravity methods; Magnetic and electrical methods; Tectonophysics; Antarctic Peninsula; United States; Baja California; Mexico; Antarctica; Peninsular Ranges Batholith; California; potential field; Mesozoic; dip; Thick plate; Cretaceous; North America; Gondwana; accretion; crustal growth; island arcs; magmatism; plutons; migration; Terranes; polar regions; Field potential; subduction zones; Phanerozoic; slabs; suture zones
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2005GL024636

New airborne geophysical data reveal subglacial imprints of crustal growth of the Antarctic Peninsula by Mesozoic arc magmatism and terrane accretion along the paleo‐Pacific margin of Gondwana. Potential field signatures indicate that the Antarctic Peninsula batholith is a composite magmatic arc terrane comprising two distinct arcs, separated by a >1500 km‐long suture zone, similar to the Peninsular Ranges batholith in southern and Baja California. Aeromagnetic, aerogravity and geological data suggest that a mafic Early Cretaceous western arc was juxtaposed against a more felsic eastern arc which, in mid‐Cretaceous times, was intruded by highly magnetic tonalitic/granodioritic plutons of island arc affinity. Suturing of the two arcs against the Gondwana margin caused the mid‐Cretaceous Palmer Land orogenic event. Convergence and suturing may have been driven by two subduction zones or, alternatively, by a decrease in slab dip, leading to an inboard migration of the arc, as in California.