Late Eocene signals of oncoming Icehouse conditions and changing ocean circulation, Antarctica

Huang, Xiaoxia; Steel, Ronald; Larter, Robert D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8414-7389. 2022 Late Eocene signals of oncoming Icehouse conditions and changing ocean circulation, Antarctica. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 600, 117885. 11, pp. 10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117885

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Abstract/Summary

The end of the Eocene greenhouse world was the most dramatic phase in the long-term Cenozoic cooling trend. Here we use 75,000 km of multi/single channel seismic reflection data from offshore Prydz Bay, Antarctica, to provide new insight on the Paleogene stratigraphic transition from greenhouse to icehouse conditions and reorganizing the ocean circulation changes that were invigorated by the cooling and glaciation. We identify a new prominent Paleogene transitional phase (Greenhouse to Icehouse) preserved in the deep-water sedimentary record by correlating from shelf to the continental slope. The occurrence of mega-Mass Transport Deposits (MTDs) on the slope during an early stage in the transition suggests significant instability and collapse of the upper part of the continental margin. A second stage of the transition is represented by the growth of a well-defined set of continental slope clinoforms. We estimate the formation age of the MTDs and clinoforms to be around Eocene-Oligocene Transition. The formation of the clinoforms in the transitional phase indicates sea level has risen, and large volumes sediment delivered to the margin by marine-terminating glaciers on the shelf. Finally, a subsequent marked migration of the margin depocenter toward the west and northwest, attests the onset of drift sedimentation and full glacial conditions, suggesting a more vigorous ocean circulation as the Earth entered the icehouse conditions after the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117885
ISSN:	0012821X
Additional Keywords:	Prydz Bay, East Antarctic Ice Sheet, E-O transition, clinoforms, MTDs
Date made live:	21 Nov 2022 09:49 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530858

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117885

ISSN:

0012821X

Additional Keywords:

Prydz Bay, East Antarctic Ice Sheet, E-O transition, clinoforms, MTDs

Date made live:

21 Nov 2022 09:49 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530858