Quaternary History of Argentine Patagonia and Tierra del Feugo: Establishment of an Absolute Age-Controlled Glacial Chronology for the Southern Andes

该研究项目将完成目前美国阿根廷在巴塔哥尼亚的研究，并扩大到包括火地岛的相关研究。巴塔哥尼亚将完成对最古老的地表漂流沉积物的测绘。火地岛的新研究包括使用K-Ar和氨基酸消旋测年方法绘制、测定和关联里约热内卢加列戈斯和里约热内卢圣巴勃罗之间的前至晚期冰川和隆起的海岸线。该地区有一大片“可疑的冰川”有待研究，因为它在冰川时代是一个潜在的避难所。对升高的海岸线的调查将提供关于火地岛均衡和新构造历史的重要信息。研究人员正在迅速发展这一地区绝对的、受年龄控制的冰川历史，这有力地支持了默瑟和他的同事(1976,1983)的工作。南安第斯山脉是重建过去冰川和气候波动的时间和幅度的理想地点。

This research project will complete current U.S. Argentine research in Patagonia and expand to include related research in Tierra del Fuego. Mapping of the oldest surficial drift deposits will be completed in Patagonia. The new research in Tierra del Fuego includes mapping, dating and correlating pre-to-late glacial and raised shorelines between Rio Gallegos and Rio San Pablo using K-Ar and Amino Acid Racemization dating methods. The area contains a large region of "questionable glaciation" to be studied because of its importance as a potential refuge during glacial times. The investigation of raised shorelines will provide important information on the isostatic and neotectonic history of Tierra del Fuego. The investigators are rapidly developing an absolute, age controlled glacial history for this area which strongly supports the work of Mercer and his co-workers (1976, 1983). The Southern Andes represent the ideal locality to reconstruct the timing and magnitude of past glacial and climatic fluctuations.