This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 69-22,155 JONES, Lois Marilyn, 1934- THE APPLICATION OF STRONTIUM ISOTOPES AS NATURAL TRACERS: THE ORIGIN OF THE SALTS IN THE LAKES AND SOILS OF SOUTHERN VICTORIA LAND, ANTARCTICA. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1969 Geology University Microiilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THE APPLICATION OP STRONTIUM ISOTOPES AS NATURAL TRACERS: THE ORIGIN OF THE SALTS IN THE LAKES AND SOILS OF SOUTHERN VICTORIA LAND, ANTARCTICA DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fullfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University by Lois Marilyn Jones, B. Sc,, M. Sc The Ohio State University 1969 Approved by Adviser Department of Geology PLEASE NOTE: Several pages contain colored illustrations. Filmed in the best possible way. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to Professor Gunter Faure, whose advice, discussions, and encour­ agement have been indispensible in bringing this study to a satisfactory conclusion. This study also could not have been possible without the generosity of numerous people who willingly contributed valuable samples utilized in this investi­ gation. Dr. Derry D. Koob contributed the excellent series of samples from depth profiles of Lakes Vanda and Bonney and the sample from Don Juan Pond. Mr. R. E. Behling and Dr. K. R. Everett contributed the samples of soil from the vicinity of the Meserve Glacier and from Taylor Valley, as well as samples of salts and meltwater. Mr. H. J. E. Montigny collected the soils and water samples from the floor of Wright Valley and the extensive suites of rock samples from the basement complex of the valley. Mr. Gerald Holds- worth provided the samples of ice, neve, meltwater, and salts from the Meserve Glacier. Samples of the KcKurdo volcanics were donated by the following: Dr. Peter Anderton; Dr. G. H. Denton (Yale University); Dr. H. H. Gair (Geological Survey Office, New Zealand); Mr. J. Kovach; Dr. V. H. Minshew; Mr. J. G. Murtaugh; ii Miss Tonia Sledzinska (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand); and Dr, S, B, Treves (University of Nebraska), Mr. David Greegor provided samples of the bottom sediment of Lake Vanda. 1 would also like to acknowledge the following people who have maintained an interest in this study and who have contributed to its present conclusion through numerous discussions: Dr. Colin Bull; Dr. K. H. Everett; Mr. R. E, Behling; and Mr. G. Holds- worth. Dr. R. J. Fleck and Dr. S. E. White read the manuscript and made many helpful suggestions. During the past two years I have been able to devote full-time efforts to this investigation through awards of an NDEA Title IV Fellowship during the I9 6 7 -I9 6 8 academic year and the John A. Bownocker Fellowship for the 1 9 6 8 -1 9 6 9 academic year. Financial assistance through the National Science Foundation Grant No. GA-713 Is also gratefully acknowledged. ill VITA September 6 , 1934 .... Born, Berea, Ohio 1955.. .....................B. Sc., Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1959 * M. Sc., Analytical Chemistry, The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 1958-1961 ................ Research Analytical Chemist, E. I. duPont de Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware 1961-1963 * ............. Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland 1963-1965 ........ Analytical Chemist, U. S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 1966-1967 • ........... • Research Assistant, Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1967-1968 .............. NDEA Title IV Fellow, Geochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1 9 6 8 -1 9 6 9 • ........... John A. Bownocker Fellowship, Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio iv PUBLICATIONS Jones, L. M., 1959, 2,4-Dihydroxybenzenearsonic acid as a spectrophotometric reagent for the determination of iron (III): M. Sc* Thesis, Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University. Radtke, A, S., and Jones, L. M., 1966, Strontium- bearing todorokite from SoganliyurQk, Turkey: U, S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 550-C, p. C158-C161. Jones, L. M., Faure, G., and Montigny, R. J. E., 1967, Geochemical studies in Wright Valley: Antarctic Jour, of the U. S., v. 3, P* 114. Jones, L* M * , and Faure, G., 1967, Origin of the salts in Lake Vanda, Wright Valley, southern Victoria Land, Antarctuca: Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, v. 3 , p. 101-106. Faure, G., Jones, L. M., Eastin, R., and Christner, M., 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, 1 0 9 pp. Jones, L, M., and Faure, G., 1968, Age of the Vanda porphyry dikes, Wright Valley, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, v. 3 , p. 321-324. Jones, L. M,, and Faure, G., 1968, Origin of the salts in Taylor Valley, Antarctica: Antarctic Jour, of the U. S., v. 3, P* 177-178. Faure, G., and Jones, L. M*, 1969* Anomalous strontium in the Red Sea brines, ijj Hot Brines and Recent Heavy Metal Deposits in the Red Sea, E. T. Degens and D. A. Ross, Editors, in press. Jones, L. M., and Faure, G,, Strontium isotope geochem­ istry of the Great Salt Lake Basin: in preparation. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................. ii VITA ............................................. iv TABLES ........................................... x FIGURES ......................................... xiv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION : STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM . 1 II. PHYSIOGRAPHY OF THE ICE-FREE VALLEYS . 4 A. Geology and Geomorphology of Antarctica ..................... 4 B. Ice-Free Region of Southern Victoria L a n d ................... 11 C. Physiography of Wright Valley . 12 D. Physiography of Taylor Valley . 22 E. Climate of the Ice-Free Valleys . 27 F. Geology of Wright and Taylor V a l l e y s .................. 43 III. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF LAKE VANDA, WRIGHT V A L L E Y .................. ?C A. Introduction ................... ?0 B. D e n s i t y ......................... 52 C. Temperature..................... 57 vi Chapter Page D. Source of the Heat ........ 61 E. Chemical Composition of Water in the Onyx R i v e r .................. 64 F. Chemical Composition of Water in Lake Vanda •»•*»»••*••• 82 Introduction Concentration profiles of the principal cations Concentration profiles of the princioal anions Layered structure of Lake Vanda Chemical composition of Lake Vanda The pH profile of Lake Vanda Cause of the high salinity in Lake Vanda Trace elements in Lake Vanda G. Geochemical History of Lake Vanda . 137 H. Source of Salts in Lake Vanda: Previous Investigations 139 Introduction Evaporites Concentration ratios Deuterium content U234/U238 activity ratio Conclusions IV. THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF STRONTIUM IN WRIGHT VALLEY ............................. 150 A. Introduction .......................150 B. Isotope Geochemistry of Strontium . 151 C. Lake Vanda ......................... 154 D* Onyx River ......................... 158 E. Ross Sea ......................... 160 F. McMurdo Volcanics * ................. 164 vii Chapter Page G. Soil and Bedrock .................... 169 H. The Source of Strontium andOther Elements in Lake V a n d a ............. 175 V. PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND ISOTOPIC CHARACTERISTICS OF DON JUAN POND, WRIGHT VALLEY ................................ 183 A. Introduction ........................ 183 B. D e n s i t y .............................. 138 C. Temperature 18R D. Chemical Composition ofBrine • . 139 E. Mineralogy of Salts Forming in Don Juan Pond ....................... 194 F. Isotopic Composition ofStrontium . 196 G. Conclusions .............. ... 197 VI. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF LAKE BONNEY, TAYLOR VALLEY ..................... 200 A. Introduction ........................ 200 B. D e n s i t y ......................... .. 209 C. Temperature .......................... 208 D. Source of the H e a t .................. 213 E. Chemical Composition of Lake Bonney 216 Introduction Concentration of the major cations Concentration of the major anions Layered structure of Lake Bonney The pH profile of Lake Bonney Chemical Composition of Lake Bonney Trace element concentrations in Lake Bonney viii Chapter Page F. Geochemical History of Lake Bonney •••■* ................ 251 G. Chemical Composition of "Taylor Red C o n e " ........................... 257 VII. THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF STRONTIUM IN TAYLOR VA L L E Y ............................ 264 A. Introduction .......................264 B. Lake Bonney .........................265 C. "Taylor Red Melt" ...................269 D. "Suess Pond" .......................270 E. Lake Fryxell .......................272 F. S o i l ............................... 273 G. Conclusions ............ 276 VIII. THE CASE FOR CHEMICAL WEATHERING IN WRIGHTVALLEY .............................. 279 A. Introduction .......................279 B. Salt Accumulation, Chemical Weathering, and Age of the Salts • 280 C. Chemical Weathering in Wright V a l l e y ............................. 292 D. Conclusions......................... 303 APPENDIX ............................................. 304 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................... 325 lx TABLES Table Page 1. Approximate mean monthly temperatures at McMurdo Station and South Pole Station • • 29 2. Mean and extreme mean temperatures at various sites