Palaeomagnetic, 40Ar/39Ar, and Stratigraphical Correlation Of
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Antarctic Science 17 (3), 409–417 (2005) © Antarctic Science Ltd Printed in the UK DOI: 10.1017/S0954102005002853 Palaeomagnetic, 40Ar/39Ar, and stratigraphical correlation of Miocene–Pliocene basalts in the Brandy Bay area, James Ross Island, Antarctica LEÓ KRISTJÁNSSON1*, MAGNÚS T. GUDMUNDSSON1, JOHN L. SMELLIE2, WILLIAM C. MCINTOSH3 and RICHARD ESSER3 1 Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland 2British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Rd, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK 3New Mexico Geochronology Research Laboratory, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801, USA *[email protected] Abstract: A revised stratigraphy of Cenozoic volcanic outcrops in the Brandy Bay area on James Ross Island is obtained by combining palaeomagnetic and stratigraphical anlysis with 40Ar/39Ar dating. The fieldwork was carried out between January and March 2002. Oriented palaeomagnetic samples were obtained from 17 volcanic units, the majority of samples being from lava-fed deltas. Individually the deltas are a few to several hundred metres thick and were formed during voluminous basaltic eruptions within an ice sheet or in a marine setting. Out of the sampled units, 15 carry a stable primary magnetization; six were of normal polarity and nine were reversely magnetized. Our 40Ar/39Ar dating constrains the emplacement of most of the Brandy Bay basalts to the Gilbert chron, with the youngest dated unit having an age of 3.95 Ma and the oldest 6.16 Ma. The mean palaeomagnetic field direction from 14 units has an inclination I = -76° α and declination D = 352°, 95 = 7°. The results further suggest that the lava caps on some of the deltas have high remanent intensity and should generate recognizable aeromagnetic anomalies. The combination of palaeomagnetic and isotopic analysis with field mapping methods in a single field area is unique in Antarctica so far and demonstrates that the combination can yield rigorous local stratigraphy in a geographically remote volcanic terrain having discontinuous outcrops. Received 19 October 2004, accepted 11 April 2005 Key words: lava-fed deltas, Neogene, radiometric dating, volcanics Introduction been relatively few, particularly for the Antarctic Peninsula, The James Ross Island Volcanic Group (JRIVG) is a large a region with several Cenozoic volcanic fields (Smellie alkali basaltic volcanic province situated near the northern 1990, 1999). In this paper the mapped field relationships, tip of the Antarctic Peninsula (Fig. 1). It contains extensive magnetic stratigraphy and 40Ar/39Ar chronology of the outcrops of lava and hyaloclastite sequences formed in a Brandy Bay area in north-western James Ross Island are marine or englacial setting during the late Cenozoic (Nelson presented. Our results provide new insights into the 1975, Skilling 1994, 2002, Smellie 1999 and unpublished). stratigraphy and volcanic activity of the area as well as The JRIVG offers excellent exposures of lava-fed deltas being the first palaeomagnetic and 40Ar/39Ar results and their stratigraphical correlation and dating should published for the JRIVG. provide important insights into palaeoenvironmental conditions, such as extent of glacial cover at the time of Geological setting their formation. The outcrops are, however, lithologically similar regardless of age, and are discontinuous. Attempts to The James Ross Island Volcanic Group dominates the construct a rigorous stratigraphy have failed so far (cf. outcrop geology of James Ross Island (JRI), Vega Island Nelson 1975, Smellie 1999). and several small islands in Prince Gustav Channel (Fig. 1). Reversals of palaeomagnetic polarity have been much It also includes the southern Tabarin Peninsula, islands in used as a stratigraphic tool in volcanic regions for half a Antarctic Sound and southern Dundee Island, nearby to the century (e.g. Hospers 1954, McElhinny 1973), across north-east of JRI (e.g. Smellie 1999). These volcanic rocks distances ranging from 10-1 to 104 km. Atypical primary unconformably overlie relatively unconsolidated remanence directions in individual extrusive or intrusive Cretaceous marine sediments (e.g. Bibby 1966, Crame et al. units have also been applied occasionally in local 1991). The JRIVG is principally made up of alkaline basalts correlation. In contrast to many other regions, erupted in a back-arc extensional setting during the slowing palaeomagnetic studies of volcanic rocks in Antarctica have stages of subduction of Drake Passage oceanic crust at the 409 410 LEÓ KRISTJÁNSSON et al. Fig. 1. Maps showing the location of James Ross Island (JRI) and the study area (Brandy Bay, situated at the northern end of the Ulu Peninsula). The palaeomagnetic sampling locations are also indicated. South Shetland trench (Nelson 1975, Hole et al. 1994, Smellie 1999). Subduction continues today but at a very slow rate (Larter 1991). James Ross Island is by far the largest individual outcrop of the group, forming a large polygenetic stratovolcano with a basal diameter of at least 40–60 km (Smellie 1990). Inland exposures are few because of extensive present-day ice cover, but there are several largely snow-free areas around the coast, particularly on the west and north-west sides, which collectively comprise the Ulu Peninsula. The central ice cap rises to more than 1600 m a.s.l. at Mount Haddington, which was probably the source of most of the voluminous basaltic eruptions which constructed the James Ross Island volcano. The Brandy Bay area, at the northern end of Ulu Peninsula, is the largest ice-free part of JRI and forms the subject of this paper. The exposed geology of JRI is dominated by several lava- fed deltas, individually up to several hundred metres thick. They consist of horizontal subaerial lava flows overlying steeply dipping hyaloclastite breccias (Nelson 1975). Glacial sedimentary outcrops are also widespread, separating the volcanic units and overlying the Cretaceous bedrock (Pirrie et al. 1997 and unpublished, Carrizo et al. 1998, Jonkers et al. 2002, Hambrey & Smellie in press). Other (fewer) outcrops are mainly tuff cones and rare dykes. There is evidence for eruptions in both englacial and lacustrine settings (Nelson 1975, Smellie 1999 and Fig. 2. Schematic vertical sections through the major lava-fed unpublished). delta outcrops in the Brandy Bay area. Approximate locations of 40Ar/39Ar dated samples and palaeomagnetic samples are also shown. Not to scale. BRANDY BAY REVISED VOLCANIC STRATIGRAPHY 411 Fig. 3. Representative 40Ar/39Ar age spectra for the sample groups, A, B and C, from the Brandy Bay area. 412 LEÓ KRISTJÁNSSON et al. Table I. Results of 40Ar/39Ar isotopic dating on basalts from the Brandy Bay area of James Ross Island. Sample Volcanic unit Weight (mg) n*%39Ar Age** ± 2σ (Ma) Group*** DJ.1714.5 Lachman Crags main delta 63.6 6 94.8 5.04 ± 0.04 A DJ.1718.1 Lachman Crags upper delta 61.0 5 77.1 3.95 ± 0.05 A DJ.1721.5 Unnamed hill upper delta 60.1 5 69.3 5.91 ± 0.08 C DJ.1721.7 Unnamed hill summit intrusion 65.8 7 92.9 5.14 ± 0.38 B DJ.1721.11 Unnamed hill lower delta 59.8 3 60.3 5.89 ± 0.09 C DJ.1722.1 Stickle Ridge lower delta 61.6 7 92.9 6.16 ± 0.08 A DJ.1722.6 Stickle Ridge upper delta 60.4 7 91.5 4.35 ± 0.39 B DJ.1725.5A Davis Dome basal delta 61.0 6 81.0 5.64 ± 0.25 C DJ.1726.11 Davis Dome upper delta 61.9 3 49.3 4.78 ± 0.07 C DJ.1729.8 Davis Dome main delta 63.2 7 95.0 4.71 ± 0.06 A Analytical methods: Sample preparation and irradiation Groundmass concentrates were prepared using standard separation techniques (crushing, sieving, frantzing and hand-picking). Separate was loaded into a machined Al disc and irradiated for 7 hours in the D-3 position, Nuclear Science Center, College Station, Texas. Neutron flux monitor Fish Canyon Tuff sanidine (FC-1). Assigned age = 27.84 Ma (Deino & Potts 1990) equivalent to Mmhb-1 at 520.4 Ma (Samson & Alexander 1987). Instrumentation Mass Analyzer Products 215–50 mass spectrometer on line with automated all-metal extraction system. Samples step-heated in Mo double-vacuum resistance furnace. Heating duration 9 min. Reactive gases removed by reaction with 3 SAES GP-50 getters, 2 operated at ~450°C and 1 at 20°C, together with a W filament operated at ~2000°C. Notes: *n = number of steps used in weighted mean age calculations. ** Weighted mean age calculated by weighting each age analysis by the inverse of the variance; Weighted mean errors (± 2 σ) calculated using the method of (Taylor 1982), multiplied by square root of MSWD if MSWD > 1; Decay constants and isotopic abundances after Steiger & Jäger (1977). ***Results are divided into groups based on age spectra, as detailed in text. levels were recorded by the different elevations of passage Geology of the Brandy Bay area zones in the formations. More recent work indicates that the The Brandy Bay area has several lava-fed deltas, abundant eruptive environment varied between marine and (mainly) mainly thin outcrops of glacial sedimentary rocks, and a few glacial, so the restriction to horizontal passage zones may exposed dykes (Figs 1 & 2). In addition, surtseyan cones no longer apply (Smellie 1999 and unpublished data). crop out at Bibby and Stoneley points. Stickle Ridge and an However, coincident passage zone elevations between unnamed peak 2.5 km to the north-east are the southernmost disparate, otherwise-similar but undated outcrops might still units sampled in this study. These are small, isolated be a useful stratigraphical correlation tool, if used over short erosional remnants of previously more extensive lava distances (< a few km). Conversely, the absence of deltas. In contrast, Lachman Crags to the east and Davis coincident passage zone elevations cannot be taken as a Dome to the west are less eroded and more extensive proof of a lack of correlation, since the two outcrops may be remnants of up to three superimposed deltas.