Geochronology of the Basement Rocks of the Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica
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7 1 -7 4 3 6 EASTIN, Rene, 1941- , GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE BASEMENT ROCKS OF THE CENTRAL TRANSANTARCTIC MOUNTAINS, ANTARCTICA. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1970 Geology University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE BASEMENT ROCKS OF THE CENTRAL TRANSANTARCTIC MOUNTAINS, ANTARCTICA DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By / Rene Eastin, B.S., M.S. The Ohio State University 1970 Approved by Adviser Department of Geology PLEASE NOTE: Some pages have small and indistinct type. Filmed as received, University Microfilms ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is greatly indebted to Professor Gunter Faure who suggested this study and who provided the constructive criticism and guidance necessary for its completion. .Drs. R. L. Bates, R. Fleck, and E. D. Rudolph reviewed the manuscript and their many helpful sug gestions are gratefully acknowledged. The samples used in this study were generously supplied from many sources. Dr. D. L. Schmidt, U. S. Geological Survey, provided rocks from the Pensacola Mountains together with much help ful information. Dr. A. B. Ford, U. S. Geological Survey, supplied samples from the Thiel Mountains. Dr. M. J. Hibbard, University of Nevada, Reno, and Douglas McLelland helpfully cooperated in allowing the author to obtain a suite of sample of the Nilsen Plateau from their collections. Dr. D. C. Neethling, Geological Survey, Republic of South Africa, sent the author samples from Western Queen Maud Land. N. B. Aughenbaugh, University of Missouri, Rolla, and J. C. Behrendt, U. S. Geological Survey, provided rocks from the Iittlewood Nunataks. The specimens from Bertrab Nunatak were made available by the Instituto Antartico Argentino. Development of the methods of x-ray fluorescent analyses was facilitated by advice from Drs. J. L. Powell, Oberlin College, D. E. Livingston, University of Arizona, H. W. Fairbaim, Massachu setts Institute of Technology, and Mr. John Gunner, The Ohio State i i University. Financial support by an NDEA Title IV Fellowship and by National Science Foundation Grant No. GA 898X is certainly appreciated. i i i VITA July 8 , 1941 Bom — Cleveland, Ohio 1965 B.S., The Ohio State University, Columbus 1965 Teaching Assistant, Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1965- 1968 Title IV NDEA Fellow, Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1966 Geologist, White Pine Copper Co., White Pine, Michigan 1967 M .S., The Ohio State University, Columbus 1967 Research Assistant, Institute of Polar Studies, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1968- 1969 Teaching Assistant, Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1969- ■1970 Research Assistant, Institute of Polar Studies, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1970- Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Geology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PUBLICATIONS 1966, Geochemical Aspects of the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers at Columbus, Ohio; Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Geology, The Ohio State U niversity, 105 p. VITA (Continued) with Faure, G ., Jones, L.M., and Christner, M .f 1967, Strontium isotope composition and trace element concentrations in Lake Huron and its principal tributaries; Report No. 2, Laboratory for Isotope Geology and Geochemistry, Water Resources Center and Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, 109 p. 1968, Age of three granitic rocks from the Axel Heiberg - Shackleton Glacier area, Antarctica; in, Faure, G ., e ta l., Geochronology of the Transantarctic Mountains; Report No. 3r, Laboratory for Isotope Geology and Geochemistry, Institute of Polar Studies and Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, pp. 19-28. with Faure, G ., Hill, R.L., and Montigny, R.J.E., 1968, Age Deter minations of rocks and minerals from the Transantarctic Mountains; Antarctic J. of U .S., v. Ill, No. 5, pp. 173-175. with Faure, G ., and Shultz, C .H ., 1969, Rb-Sr ages of the littlewood Volcanics and of the acid volcanic rocks of the Neptune Range, Ant arctica; Geol. Soc. Amer., Abstracts, N. Central Section. with Faure, G ., 1970, Seasonal variation of the solute content and the 87 88 Sr /Sr ratio of the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers at Columbus, Ohio: Ohio J. Sci., v. 70, No. 3, pp. 170-179. with Faure, G ., in press, Age of the Littlewood Volcanics Coats Land, Antarctica: Jour. Geol. 1970, Age of the Littlewood Volcanics, Coats Land, Antarctica (abstr.): Geol. Soc. Amer., Abstr. with Programs, North-Central Sec., v. 2, No. 6, p. 386. v CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................... i l VITA ..................................................................................................... iv TABLES ............................................................................ x i FIGURES................................... x iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................... 1 H. THE RUBIDIUM-STRONTIUM WHOLE-ROCK ISOCHRON METHOD OF DATING................... 7 Law of Radioactive D ecay ...................................... 7 Isochron Diagram .................................................... 9 Isochron Analysis ....................................................... 10 Sample Preparation for Rb and Sr A n aly sis ....................................................................... 15 Pressing pellets for XRF analysis 16 Dissolution of rock powders ................. 16 Mass Spectrometric Methods .............................. 17 Sr^/Sr®® ratio analysis ........................... 17 Computer processing ....................... 19 Analysis of E & A Standard ...... 19 Isotope dilution analysis .......................... 22 Sr concentration .............................. 22 Rb concentration .................. 25 v i Chapter Spike calibration ........................... Contamination ................................ Reproducibility .............................. X-Ray Fluorescence M ethods ............................ Measurement of the Rb/Sr ratio ........... P rin c ip le s ........................................ Instrument Operating Conditions ...................................... Counting Procedure ...................... Calibration Curve ......................... Isochrons by both XRF and ID .. Computer processing .................. Rb and Sr Concentration by XRF ........... P rin c ip le s ....................................... XRF and ID com pared .................. Computer processing .................. in. PENSACOLA MOUNTAINS.............................................. Physiography ......................................................... Exploration History ........................................... Stratigraphy and Structure ............................... Patuxent Formation ................................. Nelson Limestone ...................... Gambacorta Formation ............................ Weins Formation ...................................... Igneous Rocks ........................................... Chapter Page l D ia b a s e ............................................. 67 Felsic flows and plugs ................ 67 Hypabyssal porphyry ..................... 67 Serpan Granite and Gneiss 67 Laraprophyre d ik es ......................... 71 Dufek Intrusion ............................... 71 S tru c tu re........................................................ 73 Age Determinations ............................................... 75 Gambacorta Formation .............................. 75 Serpan Granite and Gneiss . , ................. 82 Felsic flows and plugs ............................. 88 Patuxent Formation ..................................... 92 Basalt and Diabase ................................... 94 Sum m ary...................................................................... 99 IV. THIEL MOUNTAINS.............................................................. 104 Introduction .............................................................. 104 General Geology .................................................... 104 Meta sediments ............................................. 108 C-H-Q Monzonite Porphyry .................... 108 Biotite Granite and Quartz M o n z o n ite ..................................................... 109 Age Determinations ................................................ 110 C-H-Q Monzonite Porphyry ................... 110 Biotite Granite and Quartz M o n zo n ite ...................................................... 110 v i i i Chapter Page Sum m ary................................................................... 113 V. NILSEN PIATEAU ............................................................... 117 Introduction ............................................................. 117 General Geology .................................................... 117 Metasedimentary Rocks ...................................... 122 Metavolcanic Rocks . .■ ........................................ 123 Igneous Rocks ........................................................ 124 Lonely Ridge Granodiorite ....................... 124 South Quartz M onzonite ......................... 124 Cougar Canyon Quartz Monzonite .... 125 North Quartz M onzonite .......................... 125 Age D eterm in atio n s ............................................... 126 Metasedimentary Rocks .................. 126 Metavolcanic Rocks .................................. 129 Lonely Ridge Granodiorite ....................... 132 South Quartz M onzonite .........................