Middle Miocene events in ODP and DSDP sites of the Ross Sea

Seismic correlation of glacial unconformities from the Ross Sea outer continental shelf to chronostratigraphic control at DSDP sites 272 and 273 indicates that at least two West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) expansions occurred during the early part of the middle Miocene (i.e. well before completion of continental-scale expansion of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) inferred from delta18O and eustatic shifts). Therefore, if the volume of the EAIS was indeed relatively low, and if the Ross Sea age model is valid, then these WAIS expansions/contractions were not a direct consequence of EAIS expansion over the Transantarctic Mountains onto West Antarctica. An in-situ development of the WAIS during the middle Miocene suggests that either West Antarctic land elevations were above sea level and/or that air and water temperatures were sufficiently cold to support a marine-based ice sheet. Additional chronostratigraphic and lithologic data are needed from Antarctic margins to test these speculations.

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Cite this as

Bart, Philip J (2003). Dataset: Middle Miocene events in ODP and DSDP sites of the Ross Sea. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.722496

DOI retrieved: 2003

Additional Info

Field Value
Imported on November 29, 2024
Last update November 29, 2024
License CC-BY-3.0
Source https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.722496
Author Bart, Philip J
Given Name Philip J
Family Name Bart
Source Creation 2003
Publication Year 2003
Resource Type application/zip - filename: Bart_2003
Subject Areas
Name: Geophysics

Related Identifiers
Title: Were West Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding events in the Ross Sea a consequence of East Antarctic Ice Sheet expansion during the middle Miocene?
Identifier: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00509-0
Type: DOI
Relation: IsSupplementTo
Year: 2003
Source: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Authors: Bart Philip J .