Abstract:
To obtain a global view of climate change, the climatic and evolutionary history of the Southern Hemisphere needs to be integrated into the picture, and an integration of high-latitude change is particularly important. To assist this integration, we applied the methods of palynology and Sr isotope stratigraphy to confirm and refine the numerical ages of the sedimentary succession within the Antarctic Peninsula.
We were able to establish a precise chronology using strontium isotope stratigraphy. Various calcitic and aragonitic fossil shells collected from these strata proved to be exceptionally well preserved and strontium isotope ratios obtained from them have provided some of the most accurate ages yet obtained for Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the Southern Hemisphere. Revision of the age of the succession dramatically changed the accepted ages, by half a Stage, from Barremian-to-Santonian to Aptian-to-Coniacian.
Keywords:
Sr isotope stratigraphy, Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, invertebrate macrofossils, lithological samples, palaeobotanical samples, palynology samples, palynostratigraphy
| Access Constraints: | Requests for data can be made via the UK Polar Data Centre (UK PDC) at BAS. |
|---|---|
| Use Constraints: | Data released under Open Government Licence V3.0: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ |
| Creation Date: | 2009-08-19 |
|---|---|
| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
|
| Parameters: |
|
| Personnel: | |
| Name | UK PDC |
| Role(s) | Metadata Author |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Prof John M McArthur |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Name | Dr Alistair J A Crame |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Prof Matthew Thirlwall |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University of London |
| Name | Prof W James Kennedy |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Oxford University Museum of Natural History |
| Name | Dr Duncan Pirrie |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University of Exeter |
| Parent Dataset: | N/A |
| Reference: | Crame, J. A., Pirrie, D. and McArthur J. M. 2002. Late Cretaceous Radiation and Extinction Events in Antarctica. Antarctic Funding Initiative [AFI] First Workshop, New Hall, Cambridge 24 Sep 2002 [Abstract] Pirrie, D., Crame, J. A., McArthur, J. M., Thirlwall, M. F. and Riding, J. B. 2003. High Resolution Stratigraphy of the Gustav Group, James Ross Island, Antarctica. Antarctic Funding Initiative [AFI], Second Workshop, New Hall, Cambridge, 2-3 October 2003 [Abstract] Pirrie D., Crame J.A., McArthur J.M. and Thirlwall M.F., 2004, High resolution stratigraphy of the Gustav Group, James Ross Island, Antarctica. 9th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences, Potsdam, Germany, p. 257 [Abstract] Crame, J.A., Pirrie, D & Riding, J.B. 2006. Mid-Cretaceous stratigraphy of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica In: Francis, J.E., Pirrie, D. & Crame, J.A. (eds) Cretaceous - Tertiary High Latitude Palaeoenvironments, James Ross Basin, Antarctica. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 258, 7-19 J.M. McArthur, D. Rio, F. Massari, D. Castradori, T.R. Bailey, M. Thirlwall. S. Houghton and R.V. Dingle. 2006. A revised Pliocene record for marine-87Sr/86Sr used to date an interglacial event, Cockburn Island Formation, northern Antarctic Peninsula. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 242, 126-136. Kennedy, W.J., Crame, J.A., Bengtson, P. & Thomson, M.R.A. 2007. Coniacian ammonites from James Ross Island, Antarctica. Cretaceous Research 28, 509-531. Pirrie, D., Jonkers, H.A., Smellie, J.L., Crame, J.A. & McArthur, J.M. 2011. Reworked late Neogene Austrochlamys anderssoni (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from northern James Ross Island, Antarctica. Antarctic Science 23, 180-187. AFI 02/38 - Late Cretaceous radiation and extinction events in the Southern Hemisphere |
|
|---|---|---|
| Quality: | Various calcitic and aragonitic fossil shells collected from these strata proved to be exceptionally well preserved and strontium isotope ratios obtained from them have provided some of the most accurate ages yet obtained for Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the Southern Hemisphere. | |
| Lineage: | ||
| Temporal Coverage: | |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 2001-09-01 |
| End Date | 2004-08-31 |
| Paleo Temporal Coverage: | |
| Paleo Start Date | ~112 Ma |
| Paleo End Date | ~85 Ma |
| Chronostratigraphic Unit | CRETACEOUS |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | -64.5 |
| Northernmost | -63.5 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | -56.5 |
| Easternmost | -58.5 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | N/A |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Location: | |
| Location | Antarctica |
| Detailed Location | James Ross Island |
| Source(s): |
|
|---|---|
| Data Collection: | The analyses were carried out in 2003 using a VG Sector 54 with 5 collectors. The results were normalized to 0.710248 for NIST987 (old SRM987) |
| Distribution: | |
|---|---|
| Distribution Media | Online FTP |
| Distribution Size | 0.2Mb |
| Distribution Format | EXCEL |
| Fees | See Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Data Policy |
| Data Storage: | Data held and managed at the British Antarctic Survey. |