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A unifying lithostratigraphy of late Cretaceous–early Tertiary fore-arc volcanic sequences on Alexander Island, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2004

Joe J. McCarron
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK Shell International B. V., Carel van Bylandtlaan 30, Den Haag, the Netherlands

Abstract

Late Cretaceous–early Tertiary subduction-related fore-arc volcanic rocks are exposed in a north–south linear belt along the length of Alexander Island. The age and tectonic setting of these rocks is well understood; they are not considered to represent “normal” arc magmas but were generated in the fore-arc as a result of ridge subduction. Due to their distinct composition and mode of formation, they are no longer considered to be genetically related to the Antarctic Peninsula magmatic arc. They are therefore removed from the Antarctic Peninsula Volcanic Group and placed in a newly defined Alexander Island Volcanic Group. The group is made up of the Monteverdi, Staccato, Walton, Colbert, Elgar and Finlandia formations, which vary widely in lithology, facies and age. The Colbert and Elgar formations are subdivided into nine and three members respectively. Type localities, representative lithologies and age of each of the formations are discussed. The Staccato and Colbert Magmatic complexes are defined to include volcanic and plutonic rocks that are considered to be coeval. The Rouen Intrusive complex combines the plutonic rocks from the Rouen Mountains and Rothschild Island on the basis of age and chemistry.

Type
Papers—Earth Sciences and Glaciology
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1997

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