Antarctic Rift and Hot Spot Volcanism

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This award supports a study of Noegene volcanism in Antarctica. The work addresses two issues: 1) the nature of the underlying tectonic forces shaping west Antarctica, including the Antarctic Peninsula and the Transantarctic Mountains, and 2) the nature of subpolar mantle in relation to global mantle heterogeneities, and the dynamics of mantle convection. The investigation focuses on the geochemistry (major and trace elements; Strontium, Neodymium, Lead isotopes) of selected basalts from Balleny, Scott and Peter I Islands, the Hallett and Melbourne Volcanic Provinces, the Jones Mountains, and Deep Sea Drilling Sites 274, 323 and 690C. The work will determine the geochemical signatures for basalts from the various volcanic provinces in order to ascertain regional relationships and to evaluate hot spot versus rifting scenarios for these provinces.