Title: Seismic evidence for lithospheric foundering beneath the southern Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica
Abstract: Research Article| November 29, 2017 Seismic evidence for lithospheric foundering beneath the southern Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica Weisen Shen; Weisen Shen * 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63112, USA *E-mail: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Douglas A. Wiens; Douglas A. Wiens 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63112, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Tim Stern; Tim Stern 2School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sridhar Anandakrishnan; Sridhar Anandakrishnan 3Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Richard C. Aster; Richard C. Aster 4Department of Geosciences and Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ian Dalziel; Ian Dalziel 5Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, JJ Pickle Research Campus, Austin, Texas 78758, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Samantha Hansen; Samantha Hansen 6Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David S. Heeszel; David S. Heeszel 7United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Audrey Huerta; Audrey Huerta 8Department of Geological Sciences, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington 98926, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrew Nyblade; Andrew Nyblade 3Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Terry J. Wilson; Terry J. Wilson 9Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar J. Paul Winberry J. Paul Winberry 8Department of Geological Sciences, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington 98926, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2018) 46 (1): 71–74. https://doi.org/10.1130/G39555.1 Article history received: 25 Jul 2017 rev-recd: 22 Oct 2017 accepted: 25 Oct 2017 first online: 29 Nov 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Weisen Shen, Douglas A. Wiens, Tim Stern, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Richard C. Aster, Ian Dalziel, Samantha Hansen, David S. Heeszel, Audrey Huerta, Andrew Nyblade, Terry J. Wilson, J. Paul Winberry; Seismic evidence for lithospheric foundering beneath the southern Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica. Geology 2017;; 46 (1): 71–74. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G39555.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The 3000-km-long Transantarctic Mountains (TAMs), which separate cratonic East Antarctica from tectonically active West Antarctica, remain one of the least understood of Earth’s major mountain ranges. The tectonic mechanism that generates the high elevation, as well as the processes that produce major differences between various sectors of the TAMs, are still uncertain. Here we present newly constructed seismic images of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath central Antarctica derived from recently acquired seismic data, indicating ongoing lithospheric foundering beneath the southern TAMs. These images reveal an absence of thick, cold cratonic lithosphere beneath the southern TAMs. Instead, an uppermost-mantle slow seismic anomaly extends across the mountain front and 350 km into East Antarctica, beneath a high plateau near the South Pole. Under the slow anomaly, a relatively high-wave-speed root is found at ∼200 km depth, connected with the East Antarctic lithosphere, suggesting that sinking lithosphere has been replaced at shallow depths by warm, slow-velocity asthenosphere. A mantle lithosphere foundering model is proposed to interpret these images, which best explains the present large area of high elevation and the uplift of the TAMs, as well as Miocene-age volcanism in the Mount Early region. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-11-29
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 52
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