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Mineralogical implications for the Late Pleistocene glaciation in Amery Oasis, East Antarctica, from a lake sediment core

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2008

Nadja Hultzsch ,
Bernd Wagner ,
Bernhard Diekmann  and
Duanne White
Nadja Hultzsch
Affiliation:
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A43, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
Bernd Wagner*
Affiliation:
University of Cologne, Institute for Geology and Mineralogy, Zülpicher Str. 49a, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
Bernhard Diekmann
Affiliation:
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A43, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
Duanne White
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
*
*corresponding author: wagnerb@uni-koeln.de
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Abstract

The clay mineralogical composition of a 552 cm long sediment core from Lake Terrasovoje in Amery Oasis, East Antarctica, was analysed and compared with that in surface sediments from other locations in the vicinity. The lower part of the sediment core is formed by sub- and proglacial sediments with a dominance of smectite and illite, and lower amounts of kaolinite and chlorite. The upper part of the core is deposited after 12 500 cal yr bp and mainly composed of illite and kaolinite, with low amounts of smectite and chlorite, such as found in samples from rock outcrops and covering sediments throughout Amery Oasis. The clay composition in the lower section of core Lz1005 suggest that the basin of Lake Terrasovoje was filled by a 150–200 m thickened Nemesis Glacier prior to 12 500 cal yr bp rather than by local ice caps.

Keywords

clay mineralssediment provenanceice thickness
Type
Earth Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , April 2008 , pp. 169 - 172
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2008

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