Livingstone Adası'nda (Antartika Yarımadası) Düşük-Sıcaklık Termokronometrelerince Kaydedilen Senozoyik Genişlemesi


Karaoğlan F. (Executive), Karataş B., Gülyüz E.

TUBITAK Project, 2023 - 2025

  • Project Type: TUBITAK Project
  • Begin Date: September 2023
  • End Date: March 2025

Project Abstract

The Livingstone island is located in the southern part of the South Shetland Islands shaped by the opening of the Bransfield Strait in a back-arc setting as a result of the subduction of the Antarctic plate (former Phonex Plate). The island has an area of 798 km2 including Miers Bluff Formation, Mt. Bowles Formation, Barnard Point Tonalite, Inot Point Formation. The magmatic intrusions formed in an arc setting started during Middle Jurassic and ended during Miocene.

The tectonic setting of the island led to the trench parallel faulting on the island. The low-temperature thermochronology (LTT) data from the magmatic and sedimentary rocks are limited to two apatite Fission Track (AFT) studies. The LTT data pre-dates the opening of the current back-arc setting and are getting younger from north to south. The AFT ages obtained from the Miers Bluff formation range from 25 to 32 Ma, with one exception of 17 Ma, whereas the AFT ages obtained from the Barnard Point Tonalite range from 16 Ma to 22 Ma.

In this study, the magmatic and sedimentary rocks will be subject to zircon (ZHe) and apatite (AHe) U-Th/He and AFT analyses to enlighten the tectono-thermal evolution of the island. The samples will collect regarding the faulting on the island. The ZHe ages closure temperature is 200C corresponding to 8-10km depth, the closure temperature of AFT is 110-120C corresponding to 3-4 km depth, whereas the AHe ages closure temperature is 60-70C corresponding to 2-3 km depth. The overall LTT data will yield a continuous uplift from 8-10km depth to 2-3 km depth.

The available LTT data indicates an Oligocene-Miocene uplift of the region, however, the AHe ages will have a potential of young tectonic events.